Remme explains decision on cutting in-town busing

Fund drive to

reinstate busing needs $100,000

By GUY PRIEL

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- As District 88 officials prepare for the opening day Sept. 5, the busing situation has generated much discussion.

If the district receive w $100,000 in donations from members of the private sector by Sept. 15, in-town busing will remain for the remainder of the school year, Superintendent Harold Remme said Wednesday.

If the district does not receive $100,000, then officials will implement the two-mile busing limits previously approved by the school board beginning Oct. 2.

The district plans to pay for September busing out of existing reserves. Those funds will be reimbursed if the $100,000 is raised. If $100,000 is not received, the district will be forced to eat the September busing expenditure, and all donations will be returned.

Letters are being sent to anyone who might be affected by the two-mile, in-town busing limits regarding the change, as well as indicating pick-up and drop-off spots. If donations are not received, letters will be sent again indicating eligibility status.

Officials with New Ulm Bus Lines will consider possibly allowing parents to use a pay-as-you-go system in case the donations are not received.

The district cannot be in charge of the fund-raising efforts, by law. The whole process must be parent-driven to be a success, Remme said.

"We are not going to guarantee that busing will remain intact in 2001-2002," he said. "Budget cuts are made on a year-by-year basis, and cuts for next year won't be discussed until March."

The board will be looking at more than $1 million worth of cuts for the 2001-2002 school year.

A lot of community discussion has developed since the school board decided to cut busing after the failed referendum.

"One of the reasons busing was looked as a priority cut is because that is one area where we consistently overspend in comparison to the rest of the state," Remme said. "Even with a new contract that allowed for less spending, we are still not down to the state average for busing."

Reasons for overspending on transportation in District 88 include the geographic layout of the city and location of the schools. District 88 makes busing available to all students in the district, and there is a significant population of non-public school students, who are bused by state law at District 88 expense.

The district is not reimbursed for costs incurred as a result of busing non-public students, which is included in the district budget, Remme said.

The district did manage to bring expenses down somewhat as a result of a new contract with New Ulm Bus Lines in 1997. Under the terms of the contract, expenses would be reduced over a five-year period, resulting in a net savings for the five years of $1.3 million, Remme said.

"There are 10 budget areas established by the state," he said. "In all other areas, with the exception of transportation and instructional support, we are well below the state average in spending. That is why busing was considered initially as a major cut we wanted to focus on."

Total transportation costs for the district are $1,332,751 per year, or 4.7 percent of the overall budget. Of that amount, $42,890 is spent on athletics, he said.

In regards to athletics, the school district pays the normal rate for use of yellow school buses. If a special chartered bus is used, or a luxury coach, the students, or booster clubs pay the additional expenses. The bus fees come from the athletic budget, Remme said.

During the 1999-2000 school year, it cost the district $413 per-student per-year to bus students. This figure only includes bringing students to school, taking them home, special education transportation, and shuttling between the schools,according to Remme.

There are 3,608 students in the district, with 2,535 being public, and 1,073 non-public, Remme said.

In 1998-1999, the last year for which state figures are available, it cost $458 per-student per-year for busing. The state average was $370 per-student per-year, putting District 88 about $88 above the state average, which makes a significant difference. On the average, that costs the district $280,000 more than the state average for busing, which is why transportation costs were a priority for cuts, he said.

It costs the district $3,725 per-route per-month for busing. There are currently four in-town routes, with a possibility of 1 1/2 left after the cut is implemented. It is estimated that it costs $3 per-child per-day for busing, Remme said.

"Many people wonder why we didn't make some cuts in athletic or extra-curricular programs instead of busing," Remme said.

The overall activity budget, which includes athletics and other activities, is estimated at $244,704, which is 1.4 percent of the budget. When budget cuts are made, those taking the highest percentage of the budget without affecting academics are given priority, Remme said.

District 88 has contracted with a private busing company for many years. One money-saving possibility is district- owned buses, but start-up costs would be high the first year, Remme said.