SchoolBus logo in red and orange
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH
Enter keywords to search across all content
Articlesby Kelly AguinaldoAugust 23, 2012

Districts join forces, cut costs

Winton Woods City School District and Finneytown Local School District in Cincinnati share their transportation services, including buses, routes and fueling stations. In sharing special-education service alone, the operations have each saved about $25,000.

Read More →
NewsMay 17, 2012

Barker Bus to turn over fleet every 5 years

The school bus contractor will replace 20% of its fleet with new buses each summer. Don Bickel, interim operations manager, tells SBF that after five years of replacing older buses, the company expects to save nearly $250,000 per year in maintenance costs.

Read More →
Newsby StaffMay 14, 2012

Bus service changes could yield $500K in savings

After modified transportation standards for the upcoming school year are proposed to the school board, Seattle Public Schools’ transportation team continues to research cost-savings options and will submit a new proposal on May 16. Officials say it calls for a return to the 2011-12 transportation plan, which, in addition to projected savings, has a minimal impact on bell times.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
NewsApril 9, 2012

District buses special-ed kids, expects $400K in savings

Clovis (Calif.) Unified School District brings the service in house after it had been contracted and sees ridership growth in addition to financial benefits. Director of Transportation Charlie Ott discusses this with SBF, as well as the steps that were taken to make the transition this school year.

Read More →
Newsby Thomas McMahonJanuary 3, 2012

Fla. district targets efficiency, saves $6.5M

Orange County Public Schools takes numerous steps to make its transportation operation more efficient, from consolidating routes and stops to reducing the number of surplus buses. Senior Director of Transportation Jim Beekman discusses the changes with SBF.

Read More →
Newsby StaffOctober 10, 2011

District cuts costs by running propane-powered buses

Zeeland (Mich.) Public Schools purchased nine new Blue Bird Propane-Powered Vision school buses in August 2010. Transportation Director David Meeuwsen says the district averages a savings of 80 cents per gallon with propane versus biodiesel fuel, and that once the district applies for the 50-cent-per-gallon government tax credit, he approximates fuel savings of 30 percent.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Newsby StaffSeptember 13, 2011

Mass. district scraps new busing plan

North Attleboro Public Schools will reinstate bus service to all stops and go back to using last year’s routes after deficiencies in its new busing plan are revealed during the first week of school. A bus that was cut from the fleet to save the district $45,000 reportedly will be brought back into service by W.T. Holmes Transportation Co. at no cost to the district.

Read More →
ArticlesAugust 9, 2011

Case study: Revamping a transportation department

A year ago, Jeff Walker became transportation director at Litchfield Elementary School District #79 in Phoenix. The department has since cut costs, reduced the number of student disciplinary incidents on its buses and improved its safety record.

Read More →
Newsby StaffAugust 9, 2011

District to save $200K with fewer elementary bus stops

Officials at Gaston County Schools in North Carolina say that with statewide budget cuts, the district can no longer afford to have school buses stop at every household, but under the new route plan, no elementary student will be required to walk farther than one-fifth or two-tenths of a mile to a bus stop. The changes will also reduce bus trip time by 15 percent and reduce the need to idle buses.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Newsby StaffJuly 27, 2011

District to convert school bus fleet to run on natural gas

Officials at Florida-based Leon County Schools say the district will transition 44 buses to compressed natural gas by August 2012, and they hope to transition the entire fleet to natural gas within five to 10 years. The move is part of a partnership with Nopetro, a company that is working to build a natural gas fueling station for the district and will share back royalties from private sales.

Read More →