Board hires firm to audit school transportation

BY DANIELLE MEDINA
Correspondent

With parent complaints and costs on the rise, the Brick school district's transportation department will undergo a 'top to bottom' operational audit, board member John Talty said.

"This is a good time to run an operational audit," Talty said after the board's Nov. 15 meeting. "There were a lot of issues from last year's budget that we never addressed and we're heading into the next budget season."

Board members voted unanimously to hire Transportation Advisory Services, a New York-based consulting firm, to conduct the audit at a cost not to exceed $15,800.

Transportation Advisory Services is the country's largest student transportation consulting firm and has conducted efficiency studies for over 400 school districts, agencies, universities and associations in 16 states, according to the company Web site.

Its clients in New Jersey include East Windsor Regional Schools, Lakewood Public Schools and Southern Regional School District.

"We'll see where we're doing well and get suggestions for other improvements," Talty said.

Talty said that the audit, which is expected to take about two months, will study the district's current bus routes, along with costs for substitute drivers, overtime and fuel, and conduct personnel interviews.

While school officials want to make improvements, no one is looking to eliminate the transportation department, he said.

"Privatization is not in the equation," Talty said. "We're doing this to save taxpayers money."

Resident Stacy Lubrecht voiced concerns at the Oct. 4 meeting about buses arriving at school after the start of the day, along with a general lack of responsiveness from the transportation department.

"Let me put it this way," she said. "I don't ever think I've ever had a conversation when someone didn't say, 'I had a similar problem,' " Lubrecht said last month

Lubrecht also requested that the district conduct a full audit of the department.

The district is currently in negotiations with the Transport Workers Union, which represents bus drivers, food service workers, cafeteria workers, groundskeepers, maintenance workers and clerical staff.

"It's a slow process, but that is the nature of the beast," Talty said. "At our next meeting on Dec. 4, we're hoping to make some real progress."

The district's current contract with TWU Local 225 Branch 4 expired June 30.