St. Louis McKinney-Vento Regional Transportation Network

Steve Weeks & Jim Troxell, Ferguson-Florissant School DistrictDeidra Thomas-Murray, St. Louis Public SchoolsDenitria Neil, Hazelwood School District

October 26, 2014

The St. Louis McKinney Vento Regional Transportation Network

This collaboration is a process and systemic change from how MV transportation has traditionally been done in the St. Louis area.

The idea is that by building partnerships, we can do this much better (and cheaper!) together.

Transportation is a HUGE piece of the McKinney-Vento legislation

It’s the law It’s the right thing to do It’s expensive!

– For the district of origin– For the district of temporary residence (50%, or

more, of a district’s cost)

It can be problematic in many ways…..

The Problems: Increased Exposure to a Variety of Dangers

Accidents Incidents with other students Driver issues Early drop-offs & late arrivals Tardies causing missed

breakfasts Lack of supervision after drop-

off at school, etc

The Problem: Reliability Issues With Transport Provider

Early or late pickups Cab no-shows Poor service Strain on resources/hours/costs of staff

staying late

Problems / Issues With Drivers

Different drivers Trust issues of drivers on the part of

guardians (background checks, other issues) Poor judgment or behavior on the part of

drivers or dispatchers

The Problem: Communication Issues

Poor (or untrue) communication: From parents to transportation company or

schools To parents from transportation company From district to parent or transport company Student’s school lacks information School or parents do not know how to

respond to transportation problems

The Problems: Stigmas & Perceptions

Stigmas associated with abnormal school transport

Public perception, including board members

Entitlement & expectations on the part of the parent and/or stakeholders

The Problems: Transportation Challenges

May require multiple cabs for one family due to different grade levels

Sometimes unavailable/limited Transporting younger/smaller students can

be problematic or even refused Charges for student no-shows

– What percentage of your MV transportation costs are for no-shows?

The Problems: Complaints!!

Complaints to & from cab company, school staff, administrators, homeless liaisons, district staff, community stakeholders & board members. Many of these are complaints are legitimate!

Question…

On average, how much time per day do you, your staff or the district spend on listening to and resolving complaints?

Multiply that number by 180.

How many hours is that per school year?

What would you do with this number of hours per year if they were ‘given back’?

The Ferguson Florissant School District Goals…..IMPROVE!

Improve on-time performance / reliability Stakeholder satisfaction Control over services Increase Trust (Parents, Students, Schools) Safety Improve Attendance, which makes for

increased learning & higher test scores

The Ferguson Florissant School District Goals…..DECREASE!

Complaints Tardies and Late Pickups Costs Absences

The Key Factor in Getting Administrative Support Was…….

Lowering Costs / Saving

$$

In the beginning: The Baseline

2010-11 McKinney-Vento Transportation Costs $835,495

Year One Improvements: 2011-12 McKinney-Vento Transportation Costs

$530,644! Difference of over $300,000 savings More students were actually transported than the 2010-11, all

at a MUCH lower cost. Providing ‘tuck-ins’; students displaced within the district but

not living in the school of origin attendance area. Every daily cab was on average $47 saved (per cab, not child). Eliminated all no-show charges, resulting in great savings for

money that was essentially wasted / down the drain. Bus mileage is reimbursable by the state, resulting in added

revenue to the district. This began adding money by transporting MV students, in addition to saving money. In MO, cab mileage is not reimbursable.

Year Two Improvements 2012-13 McKinney-Vento Transportation Costs

$498,397 (approximately $32K savings) Again, transported more students than

2011-12, at a lower cost – Continued decrease in cab use– Continued increase utilization of buses – Increased skill and hard work of

transportation staff serving HT routes

A Key Turning Point

Began transporting our district’s displaced students from outside FFSD

Neighboring districts were charged $20 per transport; cheaper than cabs and other systems

Saved neighboring districts costs Other districts no longer incur a

charge for no-shows

Hitting a Savings and Service Plateau

Savings were excellent but flattening out without controlling costs that were incurred from other districts. To reach the goal of decreasing costs, other districts would need to participate in the process.

Were other school districts interested in instituting a similar MV transportation program?

Inter-District Experiences

Ms. Deidra Thomas-Murray, Students in Transition & Foster Care Coordinator, St. Louis Public Schools

Ms. Denitria Neil, Families in Transition and Foster Care Programs, Hazelwood School District

The Rube Goldberg rule.

Transportation Director Experiences

Mr. Jim Troxell, Transportation Director, Ferguson-Florissant School District

Requirements

Communication and relationship building with other districts

Transportation department be supportive and involved

Administrative support (board and district administrators)

Requires a shift in thinking of what MV transportation should look like (not as easy as you’d think!)

Money Talks

If you are interested in developing a Regional Transportation Network, the calculator is your friend! (Money talks, everything else walks, or cabs, or…)

Remember, however transportation is provided, there will be costs. You just have to be able to show that it can be done cheaper. The fact that it’s also better is a great bonus!

Expenses

Buses Software Labor costs Before or after school care

(occasionally)

Questions?

Steven W. Weeks: sweeks@fergflor.org

Jim Troxell: jtroxell@fergflor.org

Deidra Thomas: Deidra.Thomas-Murray@slps.org

Denitria Neil: dmitchll@hazelwoodschools.org