One of the more frequently heard arguments is that Wake should use the money it spends on transportation on academics instead.
As noted in today's article, that may not be as easy as it seems. But such talk has picked up this year due to all the unpleasant cuts that are part of the budget proposal.
First off, the state provides $46 million of the district's $63 million transportation budget.
It looks like Wake could ask the state to reallocate some of the $46 million. But it would look to be a one-shot deal because the money that would be reallocated wouldn't be provided the following year.
Additionally, Wake might take a double hit. It's possible that the state could also reduce funding for whatever program received the reallocated transportation money.
You could look at the $17 million in local transportation bucks. Wake says $11.3 million is for salaries with $6.2 million for things such as fuel, contracted transportation, repair parts, materials, supplies, oil, tires and tubes, license and fees.
School officials say a sharp cut in local transportation dollars would have a negative impact on bus service.
“We wouldn’t be able to provide the service we’re now offering,” said Bob Snidemiller, Wake's senior director for transportation, in the article.
Comments
what are WCPSS and Del Burns doing to find out?
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 18:58 — AngelaWhttp://news14.com/content/school_news/606857/cms-superintendent-heading-to-washington/Default.aspx
Transportation
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 13:47 — RMC10Let's see this logic - you can get transportation for 20 miles for low income purposes, but parents can't choose going to an alternative year round or traditional school (closer to their home) and getting transportation.
We have two Wake County busses - same school destination that comes by our house within 5 minutes of each other. My daughter's bus usual load is maybe up to 10 students.
Yet when we asked transportation department director in Apex to just move that one bus stop one block further down to street - to where those children actually live - and at least 12 parents have requested this change for over two years - it has refused by Ms. Apex Transportation. She makes us go to a bus stop that is technically not in Olive Chapel node, but is in Baucom node.
Again - why does WCPSS keep preaching about low income = low performing students. Again, if they spend the same amount district wide for salaries and materials, and teach same district wide curriculums how can the reported outcome be so different. Low income is not a true indicator of doing poorly in school.
Stop bussing so far. Fill the busses up, position the bus stops for efficiency, charge magnet school parents $100 a year for their special "privilege", give other parents transportation to alternate calendar schools, and fix this mess.
user1234--CMS also offers
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 09:07 — jenmanuser1234--CMS also offers choice. Kids are not going just to their nearest neighborhood schools. And they aren't socially engineering the acceptances to magnet programs like they do in Wake. I think that the applicants are on more of a level playing field than they are here.
Some observations: Paul
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 08:40 — loriacSome observations: Paul LeSieur (State Public Instruction business Office Director) and Mark Winters (Wake Chief Financial Officer) say that if the state transportation money is reduced and allocated elsewhere in the education budget, future state allocations will be reduced AND the overall future education budget will be reduced by that amount. Bob Snidemuller, senior transportation director, says if local funds are reduced, they will have to cut important programs, like busing magnet students, for instance.
So - to try to follow the money - we might as well spend the state money, because if we don't we get less next year. AND, if we try to use state transportation money on anything else, we get reduced by double the amount next year (transportation and education budget). If we reduce local money - the state transportation director thinks magnet busing is the first to go (as opposed to busing neighborhood kids 20 miles away, or to 5 different schools from the same neighborhood?).
My head is spinning with this 'logic' - Gov. Perdue - are you listening? According to your senior financial staffers, we have to keep spending ALL the transportation dollars, no matter what. I think there is some serious turf protection going on here. Budget crisis? What budget crisis?
What is interesting is that
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 08:04 — user1234What is interesting is that CM with neighborhood schools compensates by paying $500 more per student to get similar results to WCPSS which is a great deal for taxpayers.
I didn't realize that Wake
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 06:33 — DrActualFactualI didn't realize that Wake pays ALMOST DOUBLE for salaries than for fuel, parts, materials, supplies, oil, tires and tubes, license and fees, and contracted transportation.
state dollars too
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 06:47 — croaswifeThat is only the portion of the county dollars that is 2:1. We'd have to know how the state portion of the budget is allocated to know the true ratio of salaries to all the other expenses.