Washington Unified School District Report

Washington Unified School District Transportation Review September 30, 2010 Joel D. Montero Chief Executive Officer September 30, 2010 Dayton Gilleland, Ed. D, Superintendent Washington Unified School District 930 Westacre Road West Sacramento, CA 95691 Dear Superintendent Gilleland: In June 2010, the Washington Unified School District entered into an agreement with the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) for a transportation review that would perform the following: 1. Conduct a review of the district’s transportation program and operations for regular home-to-school services. The evaluation shall provide recommendations, if any to reduce encroachment from the unrestricted general fund. 2. Provide recommendations for a new bus routing methodology based on a standardized district wide school bell schedule and the most efficient use of transportation routes. This option should also include staggering start times at the district school sites. An evaluation of the district’s board policies regarding bus pickup and walking distances should be included in this component. 3. Review bus routes and provide recommendations for changes to improve route effi- ciency. Provide an estimate of the cost to implement the recommendations and identify possible funding sources. 4. Analyze the fiscal impact of current bargaining contract provisions related to transporta- tion including wait time, field trips, extra duty, additional benefits, other overtime and hourly activities. This component should include options to increase ridership and improve the registration process, if any. This report contains the study team’s findings and recommendations. Thank you for allowing us to serve you, and please give our regards to all the employees of the Washington Unified School District. Sincerely, Joel D. Montero Chief Executive Officer FCMAT Joel D. Montero, Chief Executive Officer . . 1300 17th Street - CITY CENTRE, Bakersfield, CA 93 . 301-4533 Telephone 661-6 . 36-4611 Fax 661-63 . 6-4647 422 Petaluma Blvd North, Suite. C, Petaluma, CA 94952 Telephone: 707-775-2850 Fax: 707-775-2854 www.fcmat.org Administrative Agent: Christine L. Frazier - Office of Kern County Superintendent of Schools i TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents About FCMAT .........................................................................................iii Introduction ............................................................................................1 Executive Summary ..............................................................................3 Findings and Recommendations .....................................................5 Fiscal Analysis ...................................................................................................5 Bus Routes and Route Efficiency ...............................................................7 Staffing ..............................................................................................................9 Driver Training and Safety .........................................................................13 Vehicle Maintenance .....................................................................................15 Facility ..............................................................................................................17 Bus Replacement .........................................................................................19 Appendices ............................................................................................21 Washington unified school district ii TABLE OF CONTENTS fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM iii ABOUT FCMAT About FCMAT The Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) was created by legislation in accor- dance with Assembly Bill 1200 in 1992 as a service to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) in complying with fiscal accountability standards. AB 1200 was established from a need to ensure that LEAs throughout California were adequately prepared to meet and sustain their financial obligations. AB 1200 is also a statewide plan for county offices of education and school districts to work together on a local level to improve fiscal procedures and accountability standards. The legislation expanded the role of the county office in monitoring school districts under certain fiscal constraints to ensure these districts could meet their financial commitments on a multiyear basis. AB 2756 provides specific responsibilities to FCMAT with regard to districts that have received emergency state loans. These include compre- hensive assessments in five major operational areas and periodic reports that identify the district’s progress on the improvement plans. In January 2006, SB 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 nearly 750 reviews for local educational agencies, including school districts, county offices of education, charter schools and community colleges. Services range from fiscal crisis intervention to management review and assistance. FCMAT also provides professional development training. The Kern County Superintendent of Schools is the administrative agent for FCMAT. The agency is guided under the leadership of Joel D. Montero, Chief Executive Officer, with funding derived through appropriations in the state budget and a modest fee schedule for charges to requesting agencies. Study Agreements by Fiscal Year 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 92/93 93/94 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 Projected Washington unified school district seidutS fo rebmuN Total Number of Studies....................743 Total Number of Districts in CA ........1,050 Management Assistance 705 (94.886%) Fiscal Crisis/Emergency 38 (5.114%) Note: Some districts had multiple studies. Eight districts have received emergency loans from the state. (Rev. 12/8/09) fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction Background The Washington Unified School District is located in West Sacramento and has an average daily attendance (ADA) of approximately 6,800 students served at one comprehensive high school, one alternative high school, eight K-8 elementary schools and one opportunity school. The district, which is 19.2 square miles in area, transports approximately 1,400 students on 11 home-to-school routes and 124 students on nine special education routes In July 2010, the district entered into a study agreement with the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) to conduct a study to perform the following: 1. Conduct a review of the district’s transportation program and operations for regular home-to-school services. The evaluation shall provide recommendations, if any to reduce encroachment from the unrestricted general fund. 2. Provide recommendations for a new bus routing methodology based on a standard- ized district wide school bell schedule and the most efficient use of transportation routes. This option should also include staggering start times at the district school sites. An evaluation of the district’s board policies regarding bus pickup and walking distances should be included in this component. 3. Review bus routes and provide recommendations for changes to improve route efficiency. Provide an estimate of the cost to implement the recommendations and identify possible funding sources. 4. Analyze the fiscal impact of current bargaining contract provisions related to transportation including wait time, field trips, extra duty, additional benefits, other overtime and hourly activities. This component should include options to increase ridership and improve the registration process, if any. Study Team The FCMAT study team was composed of the following members: William P. Gillaspie, Ed.D. Michael Rea * FCMAT Chief Management Analyst Executive Director Sacramento, California West County Transportation Agency Santa Rosa, California Leonel Martinez FCMAT Public Information Specialist Tom Carroll * Bakersfield, California Director of Transportation Shasta Union High School District Redding, California * As members of this study team, these consultants were not representing their respective employers but were working solely as independent contractors for FCMAT. Washington unified school district 2 INTRODUCTION Study Guidelines FCMAT visited the district on July 26, 27, 28, 2010 to conduct interviews, collect data, review documents and inspect facilities and buses. This report is a result of those activities and is divided into the following sections: I. Fiscal analysis II. Bus routes and efficiency III. Staffing IV. Driver training and safety V. Vehicle Maintenance VI. Facility VII. Bus Replacement fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Executive Summary Fiscal Analysis School transportation continues to be underfunded in the state of California. In the 2008-09 fiscal year, the state funded only 45% of the pupil transportation operational costs reported by school districts. In the 2009-10 fiscal year, the state further decreased funding by 19.84%. As a result, the Washington Unified School District’s encroachment for the unrestricted general fund for the 2008-09 fiscal year was $705,721 or 66.77% for home-to-school transportation and 704,425 or 82.56% for special education transportation. This is a higher than average encroach- ment compared to district’s of similar size and operational services. However, while district enrollment has increased, the transportation program has not had a commensurate increase in state funding because of the transportation cap imposed in the 1982-83 fiscal year. In reviewing alternative funding sources, Title I revenue could be a viable source of transporta- tion support. The district does not charge fees for home-to-school transportation and with the high level of families that qualify for free or reduced priced lunches; it is unlikely that charging fees would yield significant revenue. The district’s field trip rate is $37 per hour and $2.50 per mile. The business office should work with the transportation department annually to set the field trip rate. Bus Routes and Route Efficiency The district has 11 home-to-school routes and nine special education routes. The average bus loading is 127 students per home-to-school route and 13.77 students per special education route based on 2008-09 ridership figures. These numbers reflect overall route efficiency. However, additional efficiency could be attained by revising policy language to use the term “nonservice zone” instead of “walking distance” to designate the area in which no service is provided. Additional efficiencies could also be attained with modified bell schedules (8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.) at the elementary school and bell times that would add an additional one minute interval at the 9-12 grade level. The district owns a school transportation software application that includes a bus routing component. Implementing routing software generally requires a great deal of clerical time and technological expertise, and the district lacks the resources to conduct this type of service at this time. School of choice and overflow bus routes are responsible for some additional service for the existing bus routes. Minimum day schedules should be coordinated to minimize school bus use and staff time. Staffing Before FCMAT’s visit, the district issued lay-off notifications to two full-time equivalent (FTE) positions, which decreased the number of employees in the Transportation Department. FCMAT does not recommend that any additional staff reductions are warranted, and further recommends that the district evaluate the need for the two relief drivers that are on temporary contracts. The new maintenance, operations and transportation (MOT) director should be directly involved in the daily transportation operations to ensure that the transportation department is operating efficiently. Drivers spend up to 1.5 hours per day of nondriving time, which should be reviewed to determine if this number of hours is deemed excessive. The department also suffers from high absenteeism and should review the absence tracking protocols to minimize this rate. Washington unified school district 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Driver Training and Safety School bus driver training and records comply with laws and regulations. The transportation safety plan should be reviewed and revised as needed. School bus evacuation drills are held and documented as required by law. Federal Drug and Alcohol testing responsibilities will need to be transitioned to the MOT director or risk manager. Vehicle Maintenance The district’s California Highway Patrol terminal inspections reported a “satisfactory” grade for the last two years, indicating compliance with all vehicle maintenance laws and regulations, federal drug and alcohol testing regulations and driver training records. The CHP inspects buses annually to ensure safety. Vehicle maintenance documentation complies with the minimum requirements, but does not provide inventory information or usable management information. Some work is contracted to external shops, but a review of district records found that it is not an excessive amount. Fuel is purchased at a local commercial card-lock station. Facility The facility is old and inadequate, prompting labor inefficiencies. For example, there is no steam cleaning or bus washing facility. Bus Replacement The bus fleet is relatively new and in good condition. Over the past 20 years, grant funds have been available for bus replacement, but the district has never taken advantage of these opportuni- ties. The district has obtained grant funding to upgrade its buses to meet the California Air Resources Board requirements for particulate exhaust filters. fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 55 FISCAL ANALYSIS Findings and Recommendations Fiscal Analysis School transportation funding continues to be underfunded for K-12 school districts in the State of California. Before 1977, school districts annually reported their operational costs and were reimbursed in full for those associated costs in the subsequent fiscal year. After Proposition 13 passed in 1977, the state gradually reduced the percentage of reimbursement due to school districts. In the 1982-83 fiscal year the state paid only 80% of the submitted costs and capped reimbursement at that amount. Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) were provided only occasionally since then. Consequently, revenue has remained rather static as transportation costs have dramatically increased, requiring school districts to fund a greater percentage of the total transportation costs. In the 2008-09 fiscal year, state funding provided only 45% of school transportation costs statewide, with school districts covering the remaining 55%. In the 2009-10 fiscal year, the state decreased funding by another 19.84%. The funding level varies greatly in school districts throughout the state. In many instances, transportation funding may cover almost all the costs in districts with severely declining enrollment and reduced transportation service, but only a small percentage of costs in districts with substantial growth. The Washington Unified School District has experienced significant student growth over the past few years. As a result, transportation funding covers less than the statewide average percentage of costs. In the 2008-09 fiscal year, the district reported costs of $1,056,907 for home-to-school transportation and received $351,186 in revenue. This resulted in an unfunded amount of $705,721 or an encroachment of 66.77% on the district’s unrestricted general fund. During the same fiscal year, the district reported costs of $853,128 for special education transportation and $148,703 in revenue. This is an unfunded amount of $704,425 or an encroachment of 82.56% on the unrestricted general fund. The following table details the information contained in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 TRAN report, which is the state report that details school transportation costs. WASHINGTON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT TRAN COSTS 2007-08 2007-08 2008-09 2008-09 2009-10 2009-10 HTS SD/OI HTS SD/OI HTS SD/OI BUSES 17 9 17 9 PUPILS 2,350 120 1,400 124 IEP PUPILS 30 30 MILES 280,600 212,500 165,000 138,000 APPROVED COSTS $1,334,387 $1,016,717 $1,056,907 $853,128 COST/MILE $3.61 $3.92 $5.32 $5.59 COST/STUDENT $431.71 $6,956.53 $627.39 $6,230.72 REVENUE $351,186 $148,703 $351,186 $148,703 $281,505 $119,198 ENCROACHMENT $983,201 $868,014 $705,721 $704,425 % ENCROACHMENT 73.68% 85.37% 66.77% 82.56% Washington unified school district 6 FISCAL ANALYSIS A higher than average pupil transportation encroachment does not necessarily indicate program inefficiency. State funding is based on the historical costs and service that were provided in the 1982-83 fiscal year, when the state capped funding. Since then, most school districts have increased transportation services in response to growing student enrollment. In many cases, current costs are exceedingly higher, and the level of encroachment is larger than average. Washington Unified is no exception and continues to provide additional funding from the district’s unrestricted general fund to provide adequate student transportation services. The district receives federal Title I funding that can be used for enrichment or supplemental educational programs. Title I funding cannot be utilized for regular home-to-school trans- portation, but it can be used to pay for supplemental services for these programs, including transportation. The Transportation Department charges the Educational Services Department for the cost of providing transportation for three routes for after-school enrichment programs. The Transportation Department reportedly utilizes the same rate used for field trips to invoice this program. The district should evaluate the rate charged for after-school program transportation to ensure that it appropriately reflects all the cost associated with this service and establish an appropriate rate. The rate charged for field trips may not be appropriate for route services. The district does not charge fees for pupil transportation. In 1992, the state Supreme Court ruled that these fees are legal; however, they cannot exceed an amount published by the California Department of Education. Further, indigent and special education pupils cannot be charged. Most school districts define “indigent” as those who qualify for free or reduced price lunches. Approximately 70 percent of Washington Unified’s students qualify for these lunches, and a higher percentage of these students generally ride the bus. Most school districts with such a high percentage of qualifying students do not charge for transportation services because they believe the cost of administering the program would exceed the amount of fees collected. The district has approximately 1,400 pupils who ride the school bus. If it charged $100 per year for transportation, and 70% of riders received an exemption, approximately 420 students would pay the fee, generating approximately $42,000 annually. If a higher percentage of bus riders qualified for a free or reduced price pass, the revenue would be less. More staff time is usually necessary to process free or reduced price passes. The district charges its schools and athletic teams $37 per hour and $2.50 per mile for providing field trips and team trips. The Transportation Supervisor reported that the rate was established a few years ago. Charging for trips using a mileage and hourly component is the most effective way to capture the two primary cost components of trips: the driver cost and the bus operation cost. These charges should reflect only the incremental cost of providing the trip and not necessarily the costs of operating a fully loaded bus. Recommendations The district should: 1. Evaluate the rate utilized to charge for after-school routes to ensure that the appro- priate amount of Title I funding is used to pay for the entire cost. 2. Evaluate and calculate an accurate field trip billing amount annually. fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 77 BUS ROUTES AND ROUTE EFFICIENCY Bus Routes and Route Efficiency In the 2007-08 and 2008-09 fiscal years, the district operated 11 home-to-school routes and nine special education routes. In the most recent year reported on the TRAN report (2008-09), the district reported that it transported 1,400 students on home-to-school, regular education routes. This equates to 127 students per route, which indicates an efficient bus utilization scheduling and routing methodology. Most large, home-to-school buses have a capacity of 78 or 84 passen- gers. To achieve an efficiency of 127 students per route, the bus must perform more than one run. A bus route can be comprised of more than one run. Each run is characterized by picking up students and delivering them to school, or returning them home in the afternoon. The district’s routes generally include an elementary school run and a high school run in the morning, and the same in the afternoon. In the 2008-09 fiscal year, the district reported 124 special education students transported on nine routes. This equates to 13.77 students per route, which is considerably higher than the efficiency FCMAT has observed in many school districts. District Board Policy 3540 articulates a pupil transportation policy, and Administrative Regulation 3541 establishes the specific service parameters. It authorizes eligibility for home-to- school transportation based on the following walking distances to school sites. Students that live farther from school than the distances below qualify for home-to-school transportation: • Grade K: three-fourths of a mile • Grades 1-8: one and three-fourths mile • Grades 9-12: two and one-quarter miles The Transportation Department calculates these distances as the actual walking path that students would have to take to attend school. Many school districts, however, have revised their policies to articulate these as nonservice zones that designate a radius from each school in which no service is provided. The Transportation Department believes that a further reduction of time, miles and transportation costs could be achieved by revising the policy to include nonservice zones instead of walking distances. Bell times and schedules may also limit route efficiency. At Washington Unified, all the elemen- tary schools begin at 8 a.m., and the high school starts at 8:22 am. All 11 bus routes complete an elementary run and then pick up high school students on their second run. The Transportation Department believes that moving one-half of the elementary school bell times to an 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. schedule, and moving the high school bell time to 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. will reduce overall driving time for bus drivers, creating greater efficiency and savings. FCMAT concurs with this opinion. District administrators reported that buses are regularly late for the afternoon high school pick up, and in many instances, the buses frequently arrive as much as 45 minutes after their scheduled times. The Transportation Department reported that the first bus in line at the high school departs, drops off students at a nearby bus stop and returns to the high school within 15 minutes of the scheduled bell time (approximately within five minutes of leaving the school) to pick up any overflow students from other bus routes. During FCMAT’s observation, buses were not exceedingly late; however, high bus driver absenteeism or an excessive number of field trips have contributed to an insufficient number of bus drivers to staff all routes and have assisted in creating this perception in the level and timing of services. Washington unified school district 8 BUS ROUTES AND ROUTE EFFICIENCY The district has five routes later in the afternoon. Two serve the high school as evening activity bus routes, transporting students home who participate in athletics or other after-school activi- ties. The three other routes serve after-school academic enrichment programs at the elementary schools. Some elementary school students do not attend their home school of attendance because this school is in program-improvement status, and their parents transferred them to another district school. Other students do not attend their home school because it has an excessive number of students in their grade. These bus runs are not as efficient as the others, in many cases trans- porting less than 20 students. The Transportation Department owns a school transportation software application called Trans Traks, but it has never been used, and bus routes are developed manually. The software includes components that can assist in vehicle maintenance, driver training records, dispatch operations and bus routing. Although Trans Traks is one of the simplest programs available, it still requires a great deal of clerical input and time as well as individuals who are proficient in information technology. Implementing this program could provide valuable management information for the department and district. The routing software utilizes the Microsoft Streets and Trips application and could assist with routing, but staff members would still be required to modify the routes based on local conditions and requirements. The district should prioritize the professional devel- opment training and full implementation of the software to improve the departments overall efficiency. The district’s minimum day schedules vary, requiring additional transportation service and costs. Although the district has worked to schedule minimum day dismissals on the same days, some variations remain. If all schools were on the same minimum day schedule and dismissed early by the same amount of time as regular days, there would be no additional costs for operating on those days. The district provides transportation service to a charter school. This service is billed to the charter school and is a source of revenue to offset the cost of routes. Recommendations The district should: 1. Revise administrative regulations to reflect nonservice zones rather than walking distance. This will provide service to fewer students and result in some time and mileage reductions for home-to-school transportation service. 2. Shift approximately one-half of the elementary school bell times to one-half hour later, and shift the high school bell time to 10 minutes later to increase bus route efficiency. 3. Implement the Trans Traks software for bus routing. 4. Revise minimum day schedules so that they occur on the same day and so that all schools dismiss early by the same amounts of time as they do on regular days. fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 99 STAFFING Staffing In the 2009-10 school year the transportation department was staffed as follows: Months Position(s) Worked Hours Worked One Supervisor 12 months Eight hours per day One Lead Driver 12 months Eight hours per day (dispatching in the morning and scheduling) One Senior Driver 12 months Eight hours per day (Morning and afternoon routes and driver training) One Transportation Technician 10 months Eight hours per day (morning route and afternoon dispatch) One Lead Mechanic 12 months Eight hours per day One Mechanic 12 months Eight hours per day Two Relief Drivers 10 months, 5½ hours per day (cover routes for absent drivers) Twenty-one Drivers 10 months Hours per day depend on routes One Delegated Behind the Wheel Trainer 10 months Two hours per day (six hours per day driving a route) Two Substitute Bus Drivers On call The district laid off employees for the 2010-11 fiscal year, including the supervisor and transpor- tation technician. The new department staffing will be as follows: Months Position(s) Worked Hours Worked One MOT Director 12 months Eight hours per day One Lead Driver 12 months Eight hours per day (dispatching in the morning and scheduling) One Senior Driver 12 months Eight hours per day (driving in the morning, and dispatching in the afternoon) One Lead Mechanic 12 months Eight hours per day One Mechanic 12 months Eight hours per day Two Relief Drivers 10 months 5½ hours per day (covering routes for absent drivers) Twenty-one drivers 10 months Hours per day depend on routes One Delegated Behind the Wheel Trainer 10 months Two hours per day (six hours per day driving a route) Two Substitute Bus Drivers On call Organizational charts depicting this configuration of these positions are attached as Appendix A to this report. With this reduction in staffing, the Maintenance, Operations and Transportation (MOT) director will need to be more directly involved in the day-to-day operational functions of the transportation department and develop a good working knowledge of pupil transportation laws, regulations and operational issues. The employee selected for this position has a background and experience as an MOT director in another district. It would be beneficial for this employee to attend training provided by the California Association of School Transportation Officials (CASTO), the California Association of School Business Officials, Transportation R&D (CASBO) and the California Department of Education’s Office of School Transportation, School Transportation Administrator’s Course. Because the transportation technician position was reduced, it will be difficult for the depart- ment to implement the Trans Traks software program. However because of the advantages of the software, every effort should be made to prioritize implementation of Trans Traks, which may include contracting with an external provider. Washington unified school district 10 STAFFING In addition, the lead driver that schedules and plans bus routes plans to retire this fiscal year. This employee has vast knowledge of the department’s operations and bus routing needs and has held this position for a number of years. It will be important to create a succession plan and ensure that proper training and support is provided to the employee who will replace the lead driver. This employee is also a state-certified school bus driver instructor, and the department should anticipate having one less driver trainer. The transportation staff indicated that bus drivers have a high absenteeism rate. In the 2009-10 fiscal year, drivers were absent for a total of 2,690 hours, equating to 312 eight-hour days or 1.73 drivers absent every day. This is a 12.14% absenteeism percentage. In addition to the base bus route time, drivers receive the following time for nondriving activi- ties: • .25 hours per day for bus pretrip inspection • .25 hours per day for bus sweeping and cleaning • .25 hours per day for paperwork time • .25 hours per day for fueling for some routes, other routes it is paid on the supplemental time sheet. • .50 hours per day of break time for any route over 5.25 hours, any routes less than this will get .25 hours per day In all, some drivers receive up to 1½ hours per day of additional time for nondriving activities. The law requires drivers to perform daily pretrip inspections that generally take approximately 15 minutes per day. Drivers are also required to keep their buses “clean and free of litter.” The district’s drivers also fuel their own buses at the local Ramos Oil card-lock station. However, it is unusual for drivers to receive additional time to complete paperwork since this task is usually included in the half-hour provided for pretrip inspection and sweeping. Most drivers in compa- rable districts also do not receive break time because drivers can rest during their routes or on a layover between runs. Because breaks cannot be scheduled during runs, Washington Unified drivers are paid for the time as an additional benefit; however, this defeats the purpose of a break, which is to provide an opportunity for rest during a four-hour block of work. For the past two years, the transportation supervisor and some California School Employees Association (CSEA) members have been working to complete an employee handbook for the Transportation Department. This unofficial effort has produced a very detailed document intended to supplement or supplant language in the collective bargaining agreement. The hand- book includes disciplinary language. Much of this type of language would usually be included in the collective bargaining agreement, and the district should work to develop appropriate bargaining agreement language and an appropriate department handbook. Many school districts with a delegated behind–the-wheel instructor use that individual on an as-needed basis instead of providing the position with a regular, daily contract. With the impending departure of the lead driver, the district should evaluate the overall need for driver instruction staffing. After the departure, the senior driver will drive in the morning and dispatch in the afternoon, and the delegated behind-the-wheel instructor will work the position’s contracted two hours per day. That should be sufficient staffing for driver training. fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 1111 STAFFING The lead driver job description requires that the individual possess a school bus driver instructor certification. It may be difficult to attract a candidate with this qualification, so the district should consider advertising that if the successful candidate does not possess this certificate, he or she will need to earn it within a reasonable amount of time. Recommendations The district should: 1. Ensure that the MOT director is actively involved in daily Transportation Department operations and receives appropriate training in laws, regulations and generally accepted school transportation practices. 2. Evaluate the need for additional clerical support to implement Trans Traks. 3. Evaluate bus driver absenteeism and implement remedial practices as outlined in the CBA. 4. Analyze the additional time that bus drivers are paid to determine whether any savings can be realized. 5. Develop an appropriate department handbook, and bargain with CSEA to ensure that CBA language on Transportation Department procedures is incorporated. 6. Evaluate the need for driver training time. Washington unified school district 12 STAFFING fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 1133 DRIVER TRAINING AND SAFETY Driver Training and Safety The Transportation Department operates in compliance with all laws and regulations regarding driver training. The driver training records are in order, clear, understandable and meet reporting requirements. The lead mechanic’s driver training records show that he is not in compliance with regular in-service time required by EC 40085. The department indicated that the lead mechanic is not asked to drive or substitute on bus routes. The regulation requires the district to notify the local CHP school pupil safety officer when a school bus driver does not receive the required annual minimum of 10 hours of in-service time. The training generally must be made up within 30 days. The lead mechanic has not been in compliance for a couple of years, and there is no record of notification to the local CHP. School bus drivers require the greatest amount of training of any driver in the state. Before being licensed, the candidate must complete a minimum of 20 hours of classroom training and 20 hours of behind-the-wheel training. Drivers must receive a minimum of 10 hours of in-service time each year, which can be classroom time or behind-the-wheel time. Most school districts spend a great deal more time training new drivers and many provide much more than 20 hours of training per year. The state certifies two types of school bus driver instructors. A state-certified school bus The district driver instructor can teach in the classroom, during in-service training, and behind the has an older wheel. A delegated behind-the-wheel instructor can teach only behind-the-wheel under plan that the direction of a state-certified school bus driver instructor. The district has two state- certified school bus driver instructors and one delegated behind-the-wheel instructor on should be staff, but little driver training has occurred according to the driver records. Most drivers evaluated receive approximately the required minimum of 10 hours annually. A driver instructor or and updated supervisor rarely rides along with a driver, and this should be a regular practice. if necessary. In spite of this, the department reported a relatively low accident rate, and had no acci- dents during the 2009-10 school year. Education Code 39831.5 requires school districts to conduct and document school bus evacuation drills each year. Washington Unified School District complies with this regulation. Education Code 39831.3 mandates that districts adopt a transportation safety plan and maintain a copy of that document at every school site for potential inspection by the CHP. The district has an older plan that should be evaluated and updated if necessary. Copies of the document should be sent to each site, ensuring that staff members are knowledgeable of its contents and implementation. The state’s school bus drivers are subject to federal drug and alcohol testing rules for commercial drivers. The district complies with these rules. The Transportation Supervisor monitors and implements the program, but when this individual departs, the MOT or another district admin- istrator will need to be familiar with the elements of this requirement and oversee the program. Washington unified school district 14 DRIVER TRAINING AND SAFETY Recommendations The district should: 1. Utilize the driver trainers on staff to provide quality instruction and training. 2. Assign a driver instructor supervisor to regularly ride with drivers on their routes as an element of supervision and to recommend any additional training. 3. Review and update the transportation safety plan and ensure that a copy is placed at each school and school site officials are familiar with its contents and implemen- tation. 4. Ensure that a district official takes responsibility for the federal drug and alcohol testing program. fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 1155 VEHICLE MAINTENANCE Vehicle Maintenance At least annually, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Motor Carrier Division sends a represen- tative to inspect each district bus as well as records on vehicle maintenance, driver training and federal drug and alcohol testing. This motor carrier inspector issues a terminal grade report. The district has consistently received the CHP’s highest grade of “satisfactory,” indicating compliance with all of the appropriate laws and regulations. The vehicle maintenance records are minimally compliant with laws and regulations, but do not provide management information. The Trans Traks program can be used to produce work orders and reports that track parts costs and maintenance time per vehicle, fuel mileage, tire usage, and overall vehicle maintenance history. This type of data collection and reporting could also produce a mechanic productivity report and track inventory. In addition to the 29 buses it maintains, the department also maintains approximately 24 other vehicles and trailers excluding small maintenance equipment such as mowers, edgers and chain saws. Mechanic staffing for this number of vehicles and equipment is adequate, but the depart- ment would likely be unable to perform its own data entry if Trans Traks is utilized. The Transportation Department lacks an inventory system. The department stocks typical parts for a school district transportation department shop, some for buses and some for other district vehicles. A review of invoices over this past school year found that the district uses vendors appropriately for jobs that the department cannot perform due to lack of equipment. Most school transporta- tion shops utilize outside vendors for major or specialty work such as engine and transmission rebuilds alignments, body and paint work and machine work. Bus No. 15 has been out of service for nearly two years with a transmission that needs rebuilding because this repair is thought to be too expensive. The typical cost of a rebuilt transmission is approximately $7,000. This vehicle is a 1999 Blue Bird coach-type bus that is too new to be placed out of service. Buses occasionally need major work or component overhauls, but the district should plan for these events. The longer this bus remains out of service, the more likely that it will develop other mechanical problems that must be repaired before it is placed back into service. The district has no fuel on site and purchases all fuel at a local card-lock fuel station operated by Ramos Oil, a local oil and fuel supplier. Although the system is secure and limits the potential for theft, there is a cost associated with this system. The district could likely procure fuel more inexpensively if it had some capacity on-site. School districts are exempt from the federal excise tax on gasoline and diesel fuel, and state excise tax on diesel. However, an inspection of some fuel invoices found that Ramos Oil collects the state excise tax on some diesel fuel. This discrepancy should be corrected. State law requires school buses to be inspected every 45 days or 3,000 miles, whichever comes first. Washington Unified inspects its buses more frequently than required by law, and this may be costly. In addition, mechanics reported that they change oil on buses every 6,000 miles and other fluids annually. This practice should be evaluated since some fluids may not require such frequent change intervals. Washington unified school district 16 VEHICLE MAINTENANCE Title 49 of the Federal Code of Regulations requires mechanics who adjust air-brake vehicles to have a certificate. This document must indicate the air brake training that was received, or that the mechanic has at least one year of experience maintaining and adjusting air brakes. Neither of the mechanics has this certification on file, but they appear to have the required knowledge. Although the shop is relatively clean and organized, there are old and surplus parts and vehicles in the shop and around the grounds. The shop area should be cleaned and the district should dispose of old and surplus equipment. Recommendations The district should: 1. Implement a work-order system and enter inventory data and work orders in Trans Traks to generate valuable management information. 2. Evaluate the costs and benefits of installing a fuel dispensing system at the district. Excise tax exemptions should be reviewed to ensure that the district is benefiting from them. 3. Ensure mechanics have documented certification of air-brake adjustment training or experience. 4. Evaluate the appropriate intervals for typical service practices. 5. Clean and dispose of old or surplus equipment and vehicles. fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 1177 FACILITY Facility The bus maintenance shop is old and inadequate. It has only one service door, which is too low for some of the newer buses with air suspensions and roof hatches. Consequently most bus main- tenance is performed outdoors next to the shop. During the rainy season, the mechanic backs the bus to the open door for protection during servicing, but otherwise, mechanics and vehicles are exposed to the weather. The district provides tools and equipment that are adequate for a fleet of this size and type; however, there are no hydraulics lifts. Hydraulically lifting a bus provides the mechanic with an unobstructed view of the undercarriage and makes it easier to service vehicle than using a creeper to roll under the bus. The district ideally should construct a new bus and vehicle maintenance shop appropriate for the work performed. In the interim, the district should purchase a four-post portable wheel lift system that could be used to lift and repair a bus outside. These lifts are relatively inexpensive and useful for most maintenance jobs. Although card-lock stations provide some convenience, the district may not obtain the best price on fuel. The district should explore the feasibility of creating and constructing a fueling capacity on-site. Fueling security is important. With the current system, the driver needs to utilize two cards, one assigned to the driver and one to the bus. Although theft is always a concern, the staff reviews the invoices for appropriateness. If a fuel system is constructed on site, the district should ensure the implementation of security measures to minimize the potential of theft. The vehicle maintenance facility has no approved vehicle wash area or steam cleaning area. The buses are washed monthly by a separate contract company that performs the task on-site and complies with all the appropriate environmental rules regarding this form of industrial waste. The price of $13 per bus is relatively inexpensive, and the vehicles were clean at the time of FCMAT’s site visit. However, it is important for the district to construct an approved separator so that transportation personnel can steam clean bus undercarriages, engines and equipment on site. It is difficult to conduct a thorough bus inspection if this cleaning is not performed regularly. The Transportation Department office is an older portable building just outside the gate at the bus yard. The building shows signs of water leaks, age and wear. The driver and employee lounge is housed in nearby trailer. This is an adequate space for the drivers and other employees, but it lacks running water and a toilet. As a result, drivers must use the bathroom in the transportation office. Recommendations The district should: 1. Construct an appropriate bus maintenance shop, and in the interim purchase, a four-post bus wheel lift. 2. Consider establishing fueling capability on site. 3. Develop an approved separator system so buses can be steam cleaned or washed on site. Washington unified school district 18 FACILITY fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 1199 BUS REPLACEMENT Bus Replacement The district owns 29 school buses with the oldest from 1992 and the newest a 2008 model. Twelve buses provide special education service, with the remaining vehicles used for regular home-to-school service and field trips. However, two special education buses and one home-to- school bus are out of service. With nine special education routes and only 10 special education buses in service, the district has an insufficient number of spare buses for special education trans- portation. With 11 home-to-school routes and 18 buses available for this service, the number of available home-to-school buses is adequate. The district has a relatively new fleet of school buses in good condition that were Washington Unified purchased outright or obtained through lease-purchase financing. Over the past two decades, grant funding has been available for bus replacement through a variety of has never received sources including the California Energy Commission, the California Air Resources grant funding for Board and local air districts. Washington Unified has never received grant funding bus replacement, for bus replacement, paying full price for all its buses. The district should aggressively paying full price for pursue these grants. all its buses. The California Air Resources Board has adopted new truck and bus rules that will apply to all of Washington Unified’s diesel school coaches and any diesel-powered bus that weighs more than 14,000 pounds, gross vehicle weight rating. As early as 2011 and as late as 2018, the district will be required to retrofit all these diesel exhaust systems with particulate filters that capture harmful particulate matter. Grants have been available for this purpose over the years, but the district has never applied for funding. Depending on the equip- ment, the cost could be more than $25,000 per bus. A copy of these rules as they apply to school buses is attached as Appendix B to this report. Recommendations The district should: 1. Consider purchasing one or more spare buses for special education service. 2. Pursue bus replacement grants as they become available. 3. Plan for compliance with the California Air Resources Board’s truck and bus rules. Washington unified school district 20 BUS REPLACEMENT fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM APPENDICES 2211 Appendices A. Organizational Charts B. Truck and Bus Regulation School Bus Provisions C. Study Agreement Washington unified school district 22 APPENDICES fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM APPENDICES 2233 Washington unified school district 24 APPENDICES fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM APPENDICES 2255 Washington unified school district 26 APPENDICES fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM APPENDICES 2277 Washington unified school district 28 AAPPPPEENNDDIICCEESS fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM APPENDICES 2299 Washington unified school district 30 APPENDICES fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM APPENDICES 3311 Washington unified school district 32 APPENDICES fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM APPENDICES 3333 Washington unified school district 34 APPENDICES fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM APPENDICES 3355 FCMAT FISCAL CRISIS & MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE TF.AM CSIS California School Information Services FISCAL CRISIS & MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE TEAM STUDY AGREEMENT May 13,2010 The FISCAL CRISIS AND MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE TEAM (FCMAT), hereinafter referred to as the Team, and the Washington Unified School District, hereinafter referred to as the District, mutually agree as follows: 1. BASIS OF AGREEMENT The Team provides a variety of services to school districts and county offices of education upon request. The District has requested that the Team provide for the assignment of professionals to study specific aspects of the Washington Unified School District operations. These professionals may include staff of the Team, County Offices of Education, the California State Department of Education, school districts, or private contractors. All work shall be performed in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement. In keeping with the provisions of AB 1200, the County Superintendent will be notified of this agreement between the District and FCMA T and wiIIreceive a copy of the final rep0l1. 2. SCOPE OF THE WORK A. Scope and Objectives of the Study The scope and objectives of this study are to: I) Conduct a review of the District's Transportation program and operations for regular home to school services. The evaluation shall provide recommendations, if any to reduce encroachment from the Unrestricted General Fund Washington unified school district 36 APPENDICES 2) Provide recommendations for a new bus routing methodology based on a standardized district wide school bell schedule and the most efficient use of transportation routes. This option should also include staggering start times at the district school sites. An evaluation of the district's board polices regarding bus pickup and walking distances should be included in this component 3) Review bus routes and provide recommendations for changes to improve route efficiency. Provide an estimate of the cost to implement the recommendations and identify possible funding sources 4) Analyze the fiscal impact of current bargaining contract provisions related to transportation including wait time, field trips, extra duty, additional benefits, other overtime and hourly activities. This component should include options to increase ridership and improve the registration process, ifany B. Services and Products to be Provided 1) Orientation Meeting - The Team will conduct an orientation session at the School District to brief District management and supervisory personnel on the procedures of the Team and on the purpose and schedule of the study 2) On-site Review - The Team will conduct an on-site review at the District office and at school sites if necessary 3) Exit Report - The Team will hold an exit meeting at the conclusion of the on-site review to inform the District of significant findings and recommendations to that point 4) Exit Letter - The Team will issue an exit letter approximately 10 days after the exit meeting detailing significant findings and recommendations to date and memorializing the topics discussed in the exit meeting 5) Draft Reports - Sufficient copies of a preliminary draft report will be delivered to the District administration for review and comment 6) Final Report - Sufficient copies of the final study report will be delivered to the District administration following completion of the review 7) Follow-Up Support - Six months after the completion of the study, FCMAT will return to the District, if requested, to confirm the District's progress in implementing the recommendations included in the report, at no cost. Status of the recommendations will be documented to the District in a FCMA T Management Letter 2 fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM APPENDICES 3377 3. PROJECT PERSONNEL The study team will be supervised by Anthony L. Bridges, Deputy Executive Officer, Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office. The study team may also include: A. Bill Gillaspie FCMAT Chief Mallagemen tAllalyst B. ToBe Determilled FCMA T COllsultallt C. To Be Determilled FCMA T COllsultallt Other equally qualified consultants will be substituted in the event one of the above noted individuals is unable to participate in the study. 4. PROJECT COSTS The cost for studies requested pursuant to E.C. 42127.8(d)(I) shall be: A. $500.00 per day for each Team Member while on site, conducting fieldwork at other locations, preparing and presenting reports, or participating in meetings. B. All out-of-pocket expenses, including travel, meals, lodging, etc. The District will be billed for the daily rate and expenses of the independent consultant, only. The District will be invoiced at actual costs, with 50% of the estimated cost due following the completion of the on-site review and the remaining amount due upon acceptance of the final report by the District. Based on the elements noted in section 2 A, the total cost of the study is estimated at $14,000. C. Any change to the scope will affect the estimate of total cost. Payments for FCMA T services are payable to Kern County Superintendent of Schools - Administrative Agent. 3 Washington unified school district 38 APPENDICES 5. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DISTRICT A. The District will provide office and conference room space while on-site reviews are in progress. B. The District will provide the following (if requested): I) A map of the local area 2) Existing policies, regulations and prior reports addressing the study request 3) Current organizational charts 4) Current and four (4) prior year's audit reports 5) Any documents requested on a supplemental listing C. The District Administration wiIIreview a preliminary draft copy of the study. Any comments regarding the accuracy of the data presented in the report or the practicability of the recommendations will be reviewed with the Team prior to completion of the final report. Pursuant to EC 45125.1 (c), representatives of FCMA T will have limited contact with District pupils. The District shall take appropriate steps to comply with EC 45125.1 (c). 6. PROJECT SCHEDULE The following schedule outlines the estimated planned completion dates for key study milestones: Orientation: Tentatively June 28,2010 Staff Interviews: to be determined Exit Interviews: to be determined Preliminary Report Submitted: to be determined Final Report Submitted: Tentatively August 27,2010 Board Presentation: to be determined Follow-Up Support: If requested 4 fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM APPENDICES 3399 7. CONTACT PERSON Name of contact person: Scott Lantsberger. Assistant Superintendent Telephone: (916) 375-7604 xl 0I0 FAX: 916-375-7629 E-Mail: slantsberger@wusd.kI2.ca.us Ma 13.2010 Anthony U.Bridges, Deputy Executive Officer Date Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team Washington unified school district 5 40 APPENDICES fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM