Fallbrook Union Elementary School District Report

Fallbrook Union Elementary School District Transportation Review July 12, 2018 Michael H. Fine Chief Executive Officer Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM July 12, 2018 Candace Singh, Ed.D. Superintendent Fallbrook Union Elementary School District 321 Iowa Street Fallbrook CA 92028 Dear Superintendent Singh: In January 2018, the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District and the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) entered into an agreement for a transportation review. Specifically, the agreement stated that FCMAT would perform the following: 1. Review the transportation delivery system for regular home-to-school transportation, including but not limited to routing methodology, bus ridership averages, cost-per- mile comparisons, scheduling, operations and staffing, and general fund contribution, and make recommendations for improvements and potential cost savings, if any. 2. Evaluate the transportation department’s organizational structure and staffing, and make recommendations for staffing improvements or reductions, if any. 3. Review the transportation department operational processes and procedures, including use of technology for program support areas, safety and training program, required school bus driver record maintenance and professional develop- ment, and make recommendations for improved efficiency, if any. 4. Review the district’s vehicle maintenance program identifying industry standard best practices, compliance with Title 13 Code of Regulations, California Air Resources Board and local Air Quality Management District regulations, vehicle maintenance records, school bus safety checks and district fleet preventative main- tenance program design and documentation, inventory control and district fleet inventory assessment, and make recommendations for improvement, if any. 5. Review the district’s transportation facility to include terminal offices, vehicle maintenance repair garages, fueling infrastructure, fleet parking, county storm water requirements and adherence, hazardous materials best practices and security, and make recommendations for improvement, if any. 6. Review the district’s self-transportation zone distance and evaluate any cost savings by increasing the distances. FCMAT Joel D. Montero, Chief Executive Officer . . 755 Ba 1 y 3 w 0 o 0 o 1 d 7 t D h r S i t v r e e , e 2 t n - d C Fl I o TY o C r, E P N e T t R a E l , u B m ak a e , r C s A fi e 9 l 4 d 9 , C 54 A . 9 T 3 e 3 l F 0 e 1 p C - h 4 M o 5 n 3 A e 3 : T 7 T 0 e 7 l - e 7 p 7 h 5 o -2 n 8 e 5 6 0 6 1 . - F 6 a 3 x 6 : - 6 4 6 6 1 1 - 1 6 3 6 F - a 4 x 6 6 4 6 7 1 . - 6 w 3 w 6 w -4 . 6 fc 4 m 7 at.org Administrative Agent: CMhriiscthinaee Ll. FHra. zFieinr e- O, Cffihceie off EKxeer.nc Cuotuivnety O Suffipcereinrtendent of Scho.ols 1300 17th Street - CITY CENTRE, Bakersfield, CA . 93301-4533 Telephone 661 . -636-4611 Fax 661 . -636-4647 755 Baywood Drive, 2nd Floor, Petaluma, CA 94954 Telephone: 707-775-2850 Fax: 661-636-4647 www.fcmat.org Administrative Agent: Mary C. Barlow - Office of Kern County Superintendent of Schools This report contains the study team’s findings and recommendations. FCMAT appreciates the opportunity to serve the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District and extends thanks to all the staff for their assistance during fieldwork. Sincerely, Michael H. Fine Chief Executive Officer Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM i TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents About FCMAT ...................................................................................iii Introduction ......................................................................................1 Executive Summary ........................................................................3 Findings and Recommendations ...............................................5 Transportation Funding and Finance ...............................................5 Routing and Scheduling ......................................................................9 Staffing .....................................................................................................13 Vehicle Maintenance, Fleet and Facility ........................................15 Driver Training and Safety ................................................................19 Appendices .....................................................................................21 Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict ii Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM iii ABOUT FCMAT Studies by Fiscal Year 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 94/95 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13 13/14 14/15 15/16 16/17 Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict seidutS fo rebmuN About FCMAT FCMAT’s primary mission is to assist California’s local K-14 educational agencies to identify, prevent, and resolve financial, human resources and data management challenges. FCMAT provides fiscal and data management assistance, professional development training, product development and other related school business and data services. FCMAT’s fiscal and manage- ment assistance services are used not just to help avert fiscal crisis, but to promote sound financial practices, support the training and development of chief business officials and help to create efficient organizational operations. FCMAT’s data management services are used to help local educational agencies (LEAs) meet state reporting responsibilities, improve data quality, and inform instructional program decisions. FCMAT may be requested to provide fiscal crisis or management assistance by a school district, charter school, community college, county office of education, the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, or the Legislature. When a request or assignment is received, FCMAT assembles a study team that works closely with the LEA to define the scope of work, conduct on-site fieldwork and provide a written report with findings and recommendations to help resolve issues, overcome challenges and plan for the future. FCMAT has continued to make adjustments in the types of support provided based on the changing dynamics of K-14 LEAs and the implementation of major educational reforms. FCMAT also develops and provides numerous publications, software tools, workshops and professional development opportunities to help LEAs operate more effectively and fulfill their fiscal oversight and data management responsibilities. The California School Information Services (CSIS) division of FCMAT assists the California Department of Education with the implementation of the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS). CSIS also hosts and maintains the Ed-Data website (www.ed-data.org) and provides technical expertise to the Ed-Data partnership: the California Department of Education, EdSource and FCMAT. FCMAT was created by Assembly Bill (AB) 1200 in 1992 to assist LEAs to meet and sustain their financial obligations. AB 107 in 1997 charged FCMAT with responsibility for CSIS and its state- wide data management work. AB 1115 in 1999 codified CSIS’ mission. iv ABOUT FCMAT AB 1200 is also a statewide plan for county offices of education and school districts to work together locally to improve fiscal procedures and accountability standards. AB 2756 (2004) provides specific responsibilities to FCMAT with regard to districts that have received emergency state loans. In January 2006, Senate Bill 430 (charter schools) and AB 1366 (community colleges) became law and expanded FCMAT’s services to those types of LEAs. Since 1992, FCMAT has been engaged to perform more than 1,000 reviews for LEAs, including school districts, county offices of education, charter schools and community colleges. The Kern County Superintendent of Schools is the administrative agent for FCMAT. The team is led by Michael H. Fine, Chief Executive Officer, with funding derived through appropriations in the state budget and a modest fee schedule for charges to requesting agencies. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction Background Located in unincorporated North San Diego County, the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District has an approximate enrollment of 4,900 students. Nearly 65% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, are foster students or are English language learners (ELL). This qualifies the district for concentration funding under the State’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). Enrollment has been in decline for nearly a decade. The district has nine schools serving K-8 students, including two on the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base. It encompasses 295.3 square miles and transports approximately 1,426 regular education students on 11 bus routes. This study focuses on regular education transportation; however, it is impossible to evaluate the department without considering some of the impacts of special education transportation. Therefore, each section of the report will necessarily discuss this area within the overall provision of transportation. In October 2017, the district requested that FCMAT review its student transportation service. Specifically, the agreement requests that FCMAT perform the following: 1. Review the transportation delivery system for regular home-to-school trans- portation, including but not limited to routing methodology, bus ridership averages, cost-per-mile comparisons, scheduling, operations and staffing, and general fund contribution, and make recommendations for improvements and potential cost savings, if any. 2. Evaluate the transportation department’s organizational structure and staffing, and make recommendations for staffing improvements or reductions, if any. 3. Review the transportation department operational processes and procedures, including use of technology for program support areas, safety and training program, required school bus driver record maintenance and 1 professional development, and make recommendations for improved efficiency, if any. 4. Review the district’s vehicle maintenance program identifying industry standard best practices, compliance with Title 13 Code of Regulations, California Air Resources Board and local Air Quality Management District regulations, vehicle maintenance records, school bus safety checks and district fleet preventative maintenance program design and documentation, inventory control and district fleet inventory assessment, and make recommendations for improvement, if any. 5. Review the district’s transportation facility to include terminal offices, vehicle maintenance repair garages, fueling infrastructure, fleet parking, county storm water requirements and adherence, hazardous materials best practices and security, and make recommendations for improvement, if any. 6. Review the district’s self-transportation zone distance and evaluate any cost savings by increasing the distances. Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 2 INTRODUCTION 6. Review the district’s self-transportation zone distance and evaluate any cost savings by increasing the distances. Study and Report Guidelines FCMAT visited the district on March 7-9, 2018 to conduct interviews, collect data, review documents and inspect facilities. This report is the result of those activities and is divided into the following sections: • Executive Summary • Transportation Funding and Finance • Routing and Scheduling • Staffing • Vehicle Maintenance, Fleet and Facility • Driver Training and Safety • Appendices FCMAT’s reports focus on systems and processes that may need improvement. Those that may be functioning well are generally not commented on in FCMAT’s reports. In writing its reports, FCMAT uses the Associated Press Stylebook, a comprehensive guide to usage and accepted style that emphasizes conciseness and clarity. In addition, this guide emphasizes plain language, discourages the use of jargon and capitalizes relatively few terms. Study Team The study team was composed of the following members: Scott Sexsmith Timothy Purvis * FCMAT Intervention Specialist Director, Transportation Bakersfield, CA Poway Unified School District Poway, CA Leonel Martínez FCMAT Technical Writer Mike Rea Bakersfield, CA FCMAT Consultant Santa Rosa, CA *As a member of this study team, this consultant was not representing his respective employer but was working solely as an independent contractor for FCMAT. Each team member reviewed the draft report to confirm its accuracy and to achieve consensus on the final recommendations. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Executive Summary Transportation Funding and Finance The district receives a total of $781,898 in funding for regular and special education transporta- tion, and the 2017-18 fiscal year budget for both is $2,430,746. The state funds approximately 32% of the district’s pupil transportation expenditures. The approximate annual cost per pupil is $1,704.59, which is low, and the cost per route is $86,812. Before 1999, the district also provided transportation for the Fallbrook Union High School District under a cooperative arrangement, and all transportation operated out of the current facility. That arrangement was dissolved in 1999, when the high school district decided to provide its own transportation under a contract with a for-profit provider. The two districts entered into an agreement that allowed the high school district to use a portion of the transpor- tation facility for bus parking, bus shop space and the location of a portable office on the lot. The utility costs are divided. It would benefit the district to regularly review and update this agreement to reflect current practices. The district also has an agreement with the Boys and Girls Clubs of North County that allows the organization to park its bus at the district facility. That agreement was executed for the 2016-17 school year, but has not been renewed for 2017-18 even though it is ongoing. An annual review of the field trip rate would help determine if it is sufficient to recover operating costs. Routing The district operates 11 regular education bus routes transporting 1,426 students, and the average ridership is 129 students per route. New residential subdivisions are being constructed on the eastside of the district near Highway 15 and are expected to result in more students, who will require approximately two additional routes. The district has asked about strategies to reduce transportation costs with the least impact on earning. Increased nonservice zones would reduce the total number of students served, and tiered bell schedules could serve the same number with lower costs. Staffing The director, transportation is also the only state-certified school bus driver instructor for the department. He spends a significant amount of time training drivers. An additional instructor could work on an as-needed basis. The Transportation Technician dispatches, schedules field trips and develops all bus routes. She is a long-time department employee who may soon retire. Training someone in the position’s duties would allow the district to prepare for the eventual retirement. Vehicle Maintenance, Fleet and Facility The district’s CHP terminal inspection history is “satisfactory,” meaning it complies with the laws and regulations for pupil transportation operations. The department utilizes a school bus vehicle maintenance software program that has no accommodation for annual updates or software Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY support. Subsequently, the system cannot communicate with the district’s pretrip inspection or fuel management system software. There are options available to ensure districtwide two-way radio coverage. Nonschool bus vehicles that transport students should be regularly maintained and should be closer to the same interval as the required school bus inspection intervals. The average school bus fleet age is 15.5 years, which is relatively old. The fuel system has an electronic fuel management system and could benefit from a security camera system viewing the fueling island. Driver Training and Safety School bus driver training in California is highly regulated. The district’s driver training records appear to comply with applicable regulations, with no significant deficiencies. A Transportation Safety Plan that complies with E.C. 39831.3 was implemented; however, a new law requires all drivers to check their buses after each route/run to ensure that no child is left inside. The district uses a product from Zonar systems to help ensure no students are left on the bus. The Transportation Safety Plan must be revised to include these new requirements. All commercial vehicle carriers in California must enroll their commercial drivers in the DMV Employer Pull Notice Program. The district has enrolled the commercial drivers in this program and although not mandated, the district can enroll other employees who drive district vehicles. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 5 TRANSPORTATION FUNDING AND FINANCE Findings and Recommendations Transportation Funding and Finance School transportation in California has been inadequately funded for many years. Until 1977, school districts reported their transportation operational costs to the State Department of Education, and the state reimbursed those costs in the subsequent year. Capital costs were never reimbursed. After the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, the state gradually reduced the percentage of reimbursement. In the 1982-83 school year, the state capped the apportionment to each district at 80% of the previous year’s reported cost amount. Cost-of-living adjustments were granted only occasionally through the years. Revenue remained rather static as costs increased, with the state’s share of the funding covering approximately 45% of reported costs in the 2008-09 school year. That was the highest recent year of funding, and it was identified as each participating school district’s approved apportionment. During the Great Recession, the state reduced all categorical program funding, including transportation, by approximately 20%. This effectively means that it covers approximately 32% of costs compared to 35% of the statewide cost of pupil transportation, and individual districts vary widely in the percentage amount of their funding. With the implementation of the state’s LCFF in the 2013-14 fiscal year, school districts continued to receive the amount certified in April 2013. Under LCFF, transportation revenue has never received a COLA, is restricted to transportation use and is subject to a maintenance of effort (MOE) that requires districts to spend at least as much as they receive. For the district, that amounted to $781,898 for both regular and special education transportation. The 2015-16 budget for regular and special education transportation was $2,244,298, with actual expenditures of $2,106,963. The budget for the district’s transportation for 2016-17 was $2,333,648, and actual expenditures were $1,974,449. The budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year for regular and special education transportation is projected to be $2,430,746. In the previous two fiscal years, the actual expen- ditures were significantly less than the budgeted amount. State funding is expected to cover approximately 32% of the district’s transportation budget. Because the state suspended school transportation data reporting at the outset of LCFF, there is no way to compare the district’s transportation costs with those of neighboring or comparative school districts. Based on data before the LCFF, this percentage is in line with the statewide average funding for pupil transpor- tation (total statewide costs compared to total statewide revenue). Assuming the 2017-18 budget proves to be accurate, the transportation cost per pupil for the district will be approximately $1,704.59. The CDE stopped collecting statewide school trans- portation data at the outset of LCFF implementation. The last statewide annual cost per pupil average prior to the state eliminating TRAN reporting was approximately $1,500 for regular education and $6,500 for special education transportation. The district’s comparative costs, based on this information, are quite competitive, indicating that reasonable controls keep costs low. The average cost per route, arrived at by dividing the 2017-18 fiscal year transportation budget by the 28 routes, is $86,812 per route. This per-route cost is similar to what FCMAT observes statewide. Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 6 TRANSPORTATION FUNDING AND FINANCE The district does not charge fees for home-to-school transportation. Charging fees for pupil transportation has been legal since 1992 based on a ruling by the California Supreme Court. Approximately 65 percent of the district’s students; however, would qualify for free or reduced- price passes and are normally exempted from paying transportation fees. Therefore, the revenue collected would likely not even cover the additional clerical cost of collecting and processing the fees. The Transportation Department issues passes, but only to register students and track passen- gers. This is an efficient positive practice. Before 1999, the district also provided transportation for the Fallbrook Union High School District under a cooperative arrangement. All transportation operated out of the current facility. However, that arrangement was dissolved in 1999 when the high school district decided to provide its own transportation under a contract with a for-profit provider. The arrangement continued to allow the high school district’s provider to utilize part of the facility if it equally shared utilities cost. The contractor erected a portable building for its offices, and one of the shop service bays was walled-in to allow private use of some of the shop space. Fuel use would be invoiced to the users. However, the agreement was executed September 1, 1997 and has not been revisited. District staff did not have thorough knowledge of the agreement and relied on past practices concerning its assumed contents. It would benefit the parties to regularly evaluate the agreement and determine if it continues to address current needs, practices and the rates charged adequately cover costs incurred in the operation of the program. The document is attached as Appendix A to this report. The district entered into another agreement with the Boys & Girls Clubs of North County that allows the organization to park a bus at the facility. The district also provides maintenance for the school bus and training for the driver(s). Although the organization pays for the maintenance and training, it does not pay for parking the bus at the yard. The agreement contains important language requiring the Boys & Girls Clubs of North County to carry appropriate insurance, names the district as an additional insured and indemnifies the district. The agreement is attached as Appendix B to this report. The district charges its schools and team $1.95 per mile and $31.25 per hour for field and athletic trips on its buses. This fee is charged from the time students are picked up at the school until they are returned to the same location. The rate has not been amended for three years and likely does not completely capture the cost of providing field trip service. The Step 1 salary for bus drivers is $17.60 per hour, which is relatively competitive with local school districts. The district also provides generous health and welfare benefits, with most part- time bus drivers receiving full family health, dental and vision coverage. These benefits were negotiated to attract drivers and other classified employees since the district is relatively far from larger population centers and therefore does not have a large labor supply. However, the benefits also increase department costs compared with other school districts that might only offer them as a prorated option. Route contract times are efficiently managed. Drivers are paid for their route driving time with 30 minutes for pretrip inspection (15 minutes if the bus does not have air brakes), 15 minutes of sweep and clean time and five minutes of warm-up time before the afternoon route. These are reasonable times for these duties. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 7 TRANSPORTATION FUNDING AND FINANCE Recommendations The district should: 1. Annually review the facility agreement with the high school district to ensure it remains current with practices and ensure that Fallbrook Union employees are familiar with the contents and terms of the agreement. 2. Annually review the field and athletic trip rates and adjust as necessary. Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 8 TRANSPORTATION FUNDING AND FINANCE Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 9 ROUTING AND SCHEDULING Routing and Scheduling Administrative Regulation 3541 establishes a transportation nonservice zone from each of the districts’ schools to a radius of 1.5 miles. This zone was adopted in 1997 and limited the previous service. The department generally follows this rule and does not provide regular education trans- portation in this zone except for a few areas with significant student safety concerns. However, recent administrative direction allows the department to provide service to students who live in the nonservice zone and can walk to an established stop (outside of the zone) if the bus has room. Although this seems like a logical exception, problems could arise if a number of eligible students decided to ride the bus and exceeded the bus’s capacity, forcing these students off the route. Transportation nonservice zones are not intended to reduce student safety, but provide reasonable parameters of service. Parents are ultimately responsible for ensuring their student’s safety when traveling to school or a bus stop. The district has 11 regular education bus routes. One of those routes provides service from San Onofre School to Mary Fay Pendleton School while construction at San Onofre is ongoing. It will be terminated once the construction is complete. Approximately 1,426 students ride these routes, with an average ridership of 129 per route. Since most buses have an 84-passenger capacity or less, this indicates efficient bus use. Each bus transports more than its single-ride average because the district’s bell times and routing allow buses to be used for at least two runs in the morning and two in the evening. Approximately 400 of these students ride buses serving Potter Junior High School. The district also provides 17 special education bus routes using seven buses and 10 nonschool bus vans or automobiles. These routes serve approximately 175 students who receive transportation as a related service as dictated by their individualized education programs (IEPs). This is an average ridership of 10.3 students per route, which is efficient compared to what FCMAT has observed throughout the state. Based on statewide trends, the district should prepare for the steady growth of its special education population and an increased need for transportation as a related service. The schools report generally efficient service except when a high number of drivers call in sick. On those days, the department makes efforts to consolidate; however, some routes run later than their posted schedule. New housing is being constructed on the east side of the district adjacent to Highway 15, and it could require additional bus service based on the district’s nonservice zones. This area is several miles from the closest schools. Department staff reported that this housing is in the Live Oak School attendance area, but because that school is impacted, the students will be assigned to William Frazier Elementary School, which is even further away from the developments than Live Oak. Department staff estimated that one more bus route will be necessary by the 2018-19 school year, and as many as two routes will be necessary when the development is complete. The district is planning on the additional cost for this new service. The incremental cost of each route will likely be less than the per-route amount identified in the previous section because that calculation was based on dividing all department costs by the number of routes. The addition of these two new routes will require two new drivers, but no additional support positions such as mechanics, driver instructors, dispatchers, office staff, etc. Department staff indicated that more security at the Camp Pendleton east gate has increased the travel time on this military base, and the district is aware and has plans for alternate routes. San Onofre and Mary Fay Pendleton schools are located on the base, and the department should probably plan for this situation to continue indefinitely. Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 10 ROUTING AND SCHEDULING The administration is highly interested in determining whether the district can reasonably reduce regular education transportation costs without decreasing enrollment. In 1997, the school district extended the nonservice zone to 1.5 miles, resulting in a reduction of the overall number of regular education bus routes. Further extending the nonservice zone could reduce the overall amount of transportation; however, this runs the risk that some students will not attend school (although parents are responsible for their student’s attendance) or receive an education else- where. FCMAT cannot definitively determine the number of bus routes that could be eliminated by extending nonservice zones, and the scope of this study does not include riding routes to perform a detailed analysis. With these caveats, FCMAT estimates that extending the nonservice zone to 1.75 miles would likely allow the district to reduce approximately four bus routes, and extending it to two miles could allow the elimination of approximately two additional routes for a total of six. Although dividing the total budgeted transportation cost by the 28 routes results in a per-route cost of $86,812, special education routes generally are longer and more expensive. This simplistic method also includes all administrative costs, which may not be reduced in direct proportion to the number of bus routes that might be eliminated. For the sake of planning, the approximate savings related to reducing routes would include the cost of operating the bus (fuel, tires, main- tenance), and the cost of the employee (salary, salary driven benefits, health and welfare benefits). That amount would likely be in the range of $40,000-$50,000 per route, depending on the length (miles and hours), and the drivers’ salary step level. The district likely would not reduce office and administrative support or vehicle maintenance services since regular maintenance would still be necessary. Some special education students ride regular education bus routes. If these nonservice zones are extended, they would likely require service on a special education bus route, and FCMAT cannot determine the overall impact of this potential increase in special education transportation. As an alternative, the district may consider maintaining the current nonservice zone and separating the bell schedule for more efficient bus use, reducing the overall number of routes, and avoiding the risk of reduced enrollment. Many districts use tiered bell schedules for more efficient bus service. Nearly all the district’s schools begin between 7:50 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. Each bus can provide service to one school and perhaps some limited assistance at another school. If approximately half of the district’s schools began at 7:45 a.m. with the remaining schools beginning at 8:45 a.m., the Transportation Department could reduce approximately four to five regular education routes while providing the same service. Each route would be composed of two runs. A run would be an element of each route that picks up students and delivers them to school in the morning. In the afternoon, the service would be reversed. This bell time revision would also increase the efficiency of the special education bus routes (unlike extending the service zones), resulting in fewer overall bus routes. Those routes would be longer, featuring more mileage per route and more labor hours per driver. FCMAT does realize, as well, that revising school bell times can be a daunting process that affects schools, teachers and parents’ schedules. Based on the regular education service now provided, it would be imperative that Live Oak School and Potter Junior High School be on different tiers, as they compose the largest part of the regular education bus route service currently. The department’s transportation technician develops all routing using paper maps and her knowl- edge of the district, then manually enters the information into Microsoft Excel. The route sheets include directions, pertinent student information, bus stop locations and times. The district does not utilize any computerized routing program. Although the process works, it is time-consuming Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 11 ROUTING AND SCHEDULING at the beginning of each school year and at the beginning of the summer Extended School Year (ESY) program for special education students. Special education bus routing is complex, using a variety of schools, bell times and individual student needs. A district with 28 routes is approaching the point of needing a computerized routing program. A comprehensive program would require at least one additional staff person to operate because of its complexity; however, less-intensive database and routing programs are available that could assist the department with its technology needs, and they do not require significant staff or financial commitment. The department coordinates field and athletic trip service for its schools. To book the trip, the school secretary typically calls the Transportation Department, which writes the trip on a calendar, assigns it according to department protocols, and retrieves the mileage and time data from the driver after the conclusion. Schools are billed monthly for the service. The district has no vehicles that teachers or coaches can check out for transporting students, and Administrative Regulation 3541.1 expressly prohibits parent-driven trips. These practices enhance the safety for the district’s students by ensuring they will generally be transported on school buses. On rare occasions, the district does not have a bus and driver available, and the department arranges for a charter bus, which is paid for by the school. This service must be provided by a school bus or a charter bus in compliance with VC 546, a School Pupil Activity Bus (SPAB), which requires a higher level of driver certification and vehicle maintenance like a school bus. The district usually retains the services of First Student, the high school district’s contractor, or WESS Transportation, a local vendor that often utilizes school buses. Transportation staff indicated that administrative staff are occasionally not at school sites to assist the Transportation Department or supervise students, when the need arises. After a bus leaves the school in the afternoon, a discipline issue occasionally arises causing the driver to want to return to school for support. However, administrators are sometimes difficult to reach so they can provide support in those situations. Recommendation The district should: 1. Continue to plan for the additional cost of approximately two new bus routes serving new subdivisions on the east side of the district. 2. Continue to plan on delays at the Camp Pendleton east gate because of heightened security procedures. 3. Consider revising school bell schedules, with half of the district’s schools opening at 7:45 a.m. and the other half at 8:45 am. 4. Explore computerized school transportation software programs to assist with routing and other department needs. 5. Ensure appropriate and responsive staff are at schools to supervise students and support school transportation staff in case of an emergency before or after school while buses are on the road. Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 12 ROUTING AND SCHEDULING Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 13 STAFFING Staffing The Transportation Department is staffed as follows: • 1 FTE director, transportation • 1 FTE secretary III-bilingual • 1 FTE transportation technician • 1 FTE lead mechanic • 1 FTE mechanic III • 1 3.5 hr. per day, 12-month custodian • 2 Part time driver-custodians • 18 part-time transportation (some open positions) • 1 part-time bus aide • Several temporary substitute drivers The temporary substitute drivers are utilized to drive special education students on bus routes using nonschool bus vans or automobiles. They receive a minimal amount of training, but are immediately enrolled in training to become a bus driver. This strategy is beneficial because these individuals are earning some pay while being trained and gaining experience. The director, transportation is also a state-certified school bus driver instructor. He spends a significant amount of his time training drivers, which is a critical need, and driving a bus as a substitute (although at the time of FCMAT’s fieldwork, he was unable to drive a school bus because of medical problems). An operation of this size needs to have someone else on staff who can perform some driver training, but not necessarily a full-time or even articulated position. This could be a certified driver who performs the duties only when required. A state-certified school bus driver instructor is prepared by a state-certified instructor and attends a three-week residential program in Sacramento at the California Department of Education’s (CDE’s) Office of School Transportation. This classification of instructor can perform classroom instructing, in-service, behind-the-wheel training and all documentation. Alternately, the district could select, train and have certified a delegated behind-the-wheel instructor, a position that is certified by the CDE’s Office of School Transportation, but limited to performing behind-the-wheel training. The transportation technician dispatches, routes and books field trips, arranging for all route and trip coverage and developing emergency plans when the number of drivers who call in sick exceeds the number of potential substitutes. She receives telephone calls at home at night from drivers reporting that they are ill. This individual is a longtime and devoted employee of the department who is likely to retire soon. The district should plan for her succession since this is an extremely critical position. The transportation technician works a shift from 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with a two-hour lunch scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon. During lunch and after the shift, the secretary III handles communication on the phones and two-way radio. The district could benefit from creating a short-term, part-time position to learn these critical duties and be prepared to succeed when the incumbent retires. It is not reasonable to expect that the secretary III or the director, transportation could adequately fill the duties of this position, even in the short term. The department averages one employee absence per day, and the district has struggled with filling all its driver positions. With open positions and no substitutes other than in-house staff, Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 14 STAFFING few options remain when drivers call in sick. Employees cooperate as much as they can, and the district has banners at schools advertising the need for drivers. Another strategy is to place notices in school newsletters publicizing the need for bus drivers. The district’s Human Resource Department has developed an attractive flyer encouraging people to consider employment as a bus driver. Driver shortages and recruiting difficulties are nationwide and a constant problem. School bus driving is a difficult position that works part-time on a split shift, but still demands a high level of responsibility and has other challenges. Providing part-time classified employees with full health and welfare benefits is likely an incentive. The district pays for the physical exam and fingerprinting for driver training, but not for the training itself. Student behavior problems are handled primarily by school bus drivers and the department. When students misbehave on the bus, drivers complete a bus misconduct form. The district has articulated levels of discipline, including suspension from the bus for periods of time, and the drivers or department staff telephone parents to notify them of the infractions and consequences. The school of attendance receives a copy of the misconduct form. The school may become involved in the suspensions, depending on the impact on the student or school. The director, transportation and the lead mechanic also have the special license necessary to drive a school bus. The director regularly drives routes as a substitute, often two or three times a week, and the lead mechanic drives a similar amount of time. The mechanic III is training to become a bus driver and occasionally drives a nonschool bus van two or three times a week. Although it is helpful for the mechanics to act as substitutes, this decreases valuable vehicle maintenance time. The department has a driver handbook that contains standard operating rules and procedures and regular practices. The department reported that the handbook is old, but was recently retyped, and the elements that were extremely outdated were omitted. The department realizes it needs to revise the handbook to remove references to antiquated practices that are no longer followed and add practices that were recently adopted. Recommendation The district should: 1. Select, train and hire an as-needed state-certified school bus driver-instructor or a delegated behind-the-wheel instructor. 2. Plan for the eventual retirement of the transportation technician. 3. Consider announcing the need for bus drivers regularly in school newsletters. Consider paying bus driver trainees a training rate to attract more trainees. 4. Update the driver handbook. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 15 VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, FLEET AND FACILITY Vehicle Maintenance, Fleet and Facility Vehicle Maintenance The California Highway Patrol (CHP) Motor Carrier Inspector Unit annually inspects buses, vehicle maintenance records, driver records, driver timekeeping records and federal drug and alcohol testing records. It produces a report of findings entitled the “Safety Compliance Report/ Terminal Record Update,” or more commonly known as the “terminal grade” The district’s most current inspections had the following results: • 4/4/2016: Satisfactory • 4/21/2017: Unsatisfactory • 8/24/2017: Satisfactory “Satisfactory” is the highest grade awarded to any motor carrier and indicates general compliance with laws and regulations governing school bus safety. An “unsatisfactory” grade is serious. In each case, the CHP clearly advises that a failure to correct the deficiencies can result in a recommendation to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to revoke the district’s motor carrier operating authority, the filing of a complaint with the district attorney for potential prosecution, and the filing of an injunction. Charges can be brought against the board and the superintendent for failure to address these issues. The reason for the district’s prior unsatisfactory rating included three drivers who were allowed to drive buses even though they were not declared proficient to do so (13 CCR 1229), three who did not have a record-of duty-status (13 CCR 1213), four who did not complete a pretrip inspection report (13 CCR 1215), one bus that exceeded the maximum allowed inspection interval (13, CCR 1232), and one that had less than the allowable tread depth (VC 27465). Whenever there is an unsatisfactory grade, the CHP schedules a reinspection within 120 days. That subsequent inspec- tion was satisfactory; however, some driver duty status violations were noted. The department was preparing for the annual CHP inspection within a couple of weeks of FCMAT’s visit. School buses are required to be inspected every 45 days or 3,000 miles, whichever occurs first, as per Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 1232 (13 CCR 1232). The district maintains a software program named “Easy Bus” that maintains inspection and maintenance data and alerts the department of the due dates of the inspections. The software has been programmed to alert the mechanics at approximately 30 days. The inspection is usually performed within 10 days of the due date. Mileage is not easily tracked since the fueling software (where mileage is entered) cannot communicate with the Easy Bus vehicle maintenance software. Buses do not appear to approach the 3,000-mile limit before the 45-day limit. The department performs and maintains an inventory of parts, tires and equipment in the shop. This is a positive process that is rarely seen in school districts. Most school districts have the inventory, but never formally record the inventory and its value, and therefore have little idea of what is on the shelves or its value. Recent state legislation requires districts to train bus drivers on the need to check buses after every route to ensure students are not left inside unattended. The legislation also requires the installation of some type of compliant electronic device to ensure this check is completed by the beginning of the 2018-19 school year. The district is aware of these requirements and is using the Zonar system to help meet them. Some legislation has been introduced in Sacramento that may delay implemen- tation of this device until the beginning of the 2019-20 school year. Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 16 VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, FLEET AND FACILITY The district purchased the Easy Bus vehicle maintenance software with no ongoing software maintenance agreement. The district also has an electronic fuel management system named “Petro Vend.” Drivers enter a special key that identifies the vehicle to be fueled, and they are prompted for the mileage; however, these two software programs cannot communicate with each other. If they could, the mileage data could be immediately downloaded into the Easy Bus system. In addition, the district operates another software program named “Zonar,” that allows drivers to electronically perform and record their pretrip inspection. When a driver discovers a vehicle defect, it is reported in the system. However, the Zonar software again cannot communi- cate with the Easy Bus software. If that were the case, it would automatically create work orders for the necessary repairs. The lead mechanic spends up to two hours per day separately down- loading, uploading and integrating this data, and creating work orders; this is not an efficient use of the lead mechanic’s time. All the other district vehicles are scheduled to be inspected on a 90-day rotation. The mainte- nance staff indicated that the maintenance and grounds vehicles are often not regularly inspected. There are passenger vans and one sedan that transport special education students daily. Although these vehicles are reportedly inspected on a 90-day rotation, FCMAT’s review of the vehicle maintenance records found that is not always the case. According to district records, some inter- vals even exceeded 120 days. Vehicles that transport students should be maintained to a higher standard that is perhaps closer to that of a school bus. The two mechanics are skilled and do not subcontract much vehicle maintenance work. The department has computerized engine and transmission diagnostic devices, but some have not been updated. Otherwise, the shop is well equipped. The district complies with diesel particulate matter exhaust rules since all the diesel buses are outfitted with appropriate particulate filters. Fleet The number of vehicles reported differs slightly from the number that appears on the inventory sheet. The inventory sheet lists 27 coach or larger type buses, nine smaller buses, 12 nonschool bus vans, and 16 support vehicles for the Grounds, Maintenance and other departments. The department staff indicated the district has 27 large buses, eight smaller buses, nine vans, one shop truck, one Ford Taurus, 19 support vehicles for the other departments. Two of the buses on the lot (Bus # 60, #61) have been declared surplus, but not yet sold. Although the differences are minor, the number of large buses is too many and the number of small buses is too few for the type of route service the district provides. With only 11 regular education routes and few field trips, the district should consider replacing larger buses with smaller, special education buses in the future. Although transporting students in nonschool bus vans has its place and purpose, it is far safer to work towards placing as many special education students on school buses as possible. The average fleet age is approximately 15.5 years. Many school districts do not have the resources in their general fund to regularly replace school buses, however, many have benefitted from school bus grant replacement programs funded by the local air district or the California Air Resources Board. Unfortunately, the San Diego Air Pollution Control District does not fund such programs as frequently as other districts, which has limited the ability to replace older buses. The district generally has a relatively old fleet of buses, and consideration should be given to replacement appropriations. Some statewide grant programs will soon be available, and the district should be aware and apply for them as this occurs. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 17 VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, FLEET AND FACILITY All the school buses are equipped with video camera monitoring and recording equipment. The department is in the process of installing a third camera head to assist in full-bus interior visual- ization. The Zonar system also is a global positioning system (GPS) that allows the department to view the bus’s location in live time as well as determine speed, stopping location and the amount of time the bus is stopped. This is a valuable program. The district has a two-way radio system that allows drivers and the transportation office to communicate vital information. The department reported that the provider changed a few years ago. A mountain-top antenna used to be located on Red Mountain, but this was changed in favor of a system that utilizes more antennas at a lower height. This has resulted in poorer radio coverage, with some of the district’s geography being outside of the area that the system can communicate. De Luz Canyon and parts of Camp Pendleton are outside the range of this system. This could produce unintended safety issues. The district’s school buses are clean, inside and out thanks to the efforts of the drivers. Facilities The bus maintenance facility is functional, relatively clean, outfitted with necessary tools, and is appropriate for the number of vehicles. The district complies with the State Water Board’s Storm Water Pollution and Prevention Plan and works to keep contaminated storm water out of the local waterways. At the time of FCMAT’s visit, the district was preparing for the State Water Board to reinspect the site. The district also has a bus washing area with a drain that empties into a three-stage sump or “separator”. These sumps are typically regulated by the local sewer district, which generally wants to keep rainwater out of the system. However, the bus wash area is not covered, and rainwater can enter the system. The local sewer or waste disposal district should know whether Fallbrook Union complies with local industrial waste regulations. The district has a 3,000-gallon underground gasoline tank and a 5,000-gallon underground diesel tank on site with one pump each. The Petro Vend system monitors fuel use although no security cameras view the fuel island. Installing working security cameras that view the fuel island would be an additional security measure. Recommendation The district should: 1. Explore what would be necessary to allow the department software programs to communicate with each other to reduce the Lead Mechanic clerical duties. 2. Provide drivers with ongoing training on the need to check buses after every route to ensure students are not left inside unattended. Ensure drivers are familiar with the Zonar system for this purpose. Revise the district’s Transportation Safety Plan to include this change (in the Driver Training and Safety section). 3. Install some type of compliant electronic device to ensure the above check is completed by the beginning of the 2018-19 school year. Legislation may delay this requirement until 2019-20. Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 18 VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, FLEET AND FACILITY 4. Maintain nonschool bus vehicles that transport students on a frequency schedule that is like school buses. 5. Update electronic engine and transmission diagnostic programs. 6. Plan school bus replacement appropriations in the future. Monitor and apply for any school bus replacement grant programs for which the district may qualify. 7. Evaluate improving the district’s two-way radio communications between buses and the office. 8. Determine if the district complies with local industrial waste rules on rain- water entering the separator system. 9. Consider installing security cameras outside to view the fuel island. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 19 DRIVER TRAINING AND SAFETY Driver Training and Safety School bus driver training in California is highly regulated. Prospective bus drivers must receive a minimum of 20 hours of classroom training and 20 hours of behind the wheel training (E.C. 40080-40089) on curriculum developed by the California Department of Education’s Office of School Transportation. Teaching all the classroom-training units generally takes about 35 hours, and at least that amount is necessary for behind-the-wheel training. In addition, bus drivers must receive a minimum of 10 hours of in-service training time every year. Only a state-certified school bus driver instructor can conduct this training (E.C. 40084.5). Behind-the-wheel training may be given by a delegated behind-the-wheel instructor, which is another certification allowed by law and provided by the CDE’s Office of School Transportation. The training must be metic- ulously recorded. In addition, bus drivers must submit to a background check (fingerprinting) for licensing and for employment, and drug and alcohol testing in compliance with Federal Department of Transportation (DOT) rules (49CFR382). The driver training records appear to be in order with no significant deficiencies, indicating that the director, transportation is effective in keeping the department’s drivers up to date on required training. According to E.C. 39831.5 school bus emergency evacuation drills and student safety instruction must be performed annually, and specific records kept for students in grades K-6. Specific safety information must also be announced before every field trip. The Transportation Department is aware of these regulations and has conducted the drills. The transportation safety plan has a limited visibility policy in compliance with VC 34501.6. This law requires that such a policy be adopted and gives the drivers the discretionary authority to cease operation of the vehicle when visibility is less than 200’. The department occasionally has bus accidents. The director reported that he evaluates accidents and performs remedial training with drivers as necessary. Data indicated five accidents occurred in 2016-17, and two have occurred to date in the 2017-18 school year. The director and his staff also reported that they manage the DMV employer pull notice program. This program requires the enrollment of each commercial driver so the district receives annual reports of a driver’s record and a report after an accident or moving violation. The district does not allow parents to drive students on field trips (AR 3541.1), nor does the district have vehicles that it allows teachers or coaches to drive students in. These are both best practices and ensures a higher level of safety when students are traveling to and from school activities on a school bus. The federal DOT drug and alcohol testing program is managed by a third-party administrator: Comprehensive Drug Testing (CDT) of Long Beach, California. The director, transportation technician and secretary III receive direct communication from the company and the notification of random tests. These three individuals also have received training to detect and deal with the need to test drivers on a “reasonable suspicion” basis. At least one responsible individual is required to be trained in this detection and the procedures. The director and transportation technician are in the testing pool since they are also commercial drivers. When their names are on the list for random testing, they do not receive notification, but the others do, ensuring the secrecy of the test. Van drivers who drive special education students are in a separate, but similar drug and alcohol testing pool. Although they are not required to be tested by law, this is an effective practice. Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 20 DRIVER TRAINING AND SAFETY California Code of Regulations 13 CCR 1229 requires that drivers demonstrate proficiency on any commercial vehicle before driving it unsupervised on the road. Records of each vehicle and which drivers are proficient on that vehicle must be kept. Those records exist and are updated when a driver attains any new proficiency. The director generally performs the proficiency training and certification, and the department is aware that drivers must be proficient to drive a vehicle. The department provides annual in-service training at the beginning of each school year. This specialized department training is generally 4 ½ to 5 hours in length. Monthly in-service meetings are scheduled for approximately one hour each and contain informative and valuable training information for bus drivers and staff. Original classroom training is regularly provided for new candidates to become bus drivers, are usually individuals who are temporary substitutes or drive vans. Renewal classroom training for a minimum of 10 hours is required for any driver in the last year of his or her school bus certificate validity. These individuals are placed in an original class and attend when the specific, required units of instruction are taught. The director performs all behind-the-wheel training, accident retraining and safety ride-checks of the drivers on their routes. Every district employee is certified in Red Cross first aid, CPR and automated external defibrillator training, and renews that certification every two years. The department recently instituted a bus pass program. All K-6 students enroll for school transportation and are issued a pass. That data is maintained in the district’s student information system. All 7-8 grade students use their student identification card as their bus pass, but they are also listed in the student information system as a bus rider. This data collection is an excellent practice and ensures the district complies with EC 39831.5, and drivers are aware if any students require to be physically escorted across the street at their bus stop. Recommendation The district should: 1. Enroll any district employee who drives a district vehicle in the DMV pull notice program. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 2211 APPENDDRICAEFST Appendices Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 2222 DARPPAEFNTDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 2233 APPENDDRICAEFST Appendix A Agreement for Joint Use Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 2244 DARPPAEFNTDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 2255 APPENDDRICAEFST Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 2266 DARPPAEFNTDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 2277 APPENDDRICAEFST Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 2288 DARPPAEFNTDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 2299 APPENDDRICAEFST Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 3300 DARPPAEFNTDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 3311 APPENDDRICAEFST Appendix B Memorandum of Understanding Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 3322 DARPPAEFNTDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 3333 APPENDDRICAEFST Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 3344 DARPPAEFNTDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 3355 APPENDDRICAEFST Appendix C Study Agreement Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 3366 DARPPAEFNTDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 3377 APPENDDRICAEFST Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 3388 DARPPAEFNTDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 3399 APPENDDRICAEFST Fallbrook Union elementary School DiStrict 4400 DARPPAEFNTDICES Raymond Proctor Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM