District 88 considers busing issue

Special meeting set for Tuesday

By GUY PRIEL

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- With less than 24 hours to go before the deadline for raising $100,000 for in-town busing in District 88, a group of concerned residents, including day-care providers, approached the school board Thursday to provide options.

"This has apparently been a topic of interest for a lot of people in the community," Superintendent Harold Remme said. "It is inappropriate for us to make any final decision tonight on the busing situation, because the time line has not been met yet."

The issue needs full board consideration, and two members were absent on Thursday. A special meeting has been scheduled for 7 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 19, to discuss the matter.

Day-care providers are particularly concerned about the imposition of a two-mile eligibility for in-town busing.

District 88 cut the busing last spring after an excess levy referendum failed. The cut was an estimated $100,000 saving for the school system. The deadline for a fund drive to raise that amount is today.

At Thursday's meeting, day-care providers presented options to the board if the busing cuts become reality.

Those options include providing busing for students living across the railroad tracks; provide busing only for students who are registered users of day-care sites; looking into a possible day-care bus service with cost sharing options; provide busing through a shuttle system between the schools for day-care busing; and make busing available to those providers outside the proposed limit with children living inside the limit.

There are approximately 77 day-care sites in New Ulm. there would be some additional costs to the district with some of the options. The shuttle would run at $1,007 per bus per month, or a possibility of $3 per student per day for a day-care operated bus service, Remme said.

"There have been several options presented by day-care providers and others in the community," Remme said. "It is a safety issue, and it has been suggested that we could have crossing guards at key intersections."

It is estimated that it will cost the district about $2,500 per guard if this option is chosen, he said.

"We could check with organizations to see if volunteers might be available to handle this," Board Member Susan Ullery said. "We would provide flags and vests for the guards."

It is unclear what the answer would be for parents who choose to stay home with their children if busing is provided to children in day-care centers, because the district should remain consistent and avoid exceptions, Board Member Mark Wiger said.

"We don't want to be in this situation, but we're stuck," Board Member David Leuthe said. "Having a number of options is great. I don't favor looking at all the options, because it is too cumbersome for us to deal with. It has been suggested that there be a special day-care bus service for door-to-door delivery."

Day-care providers don't have the resources to pick students up, and there are a lot of people struggling with finances, making this a difficult issue for the community at large, Leuthe said. "The proposed transportation policy puts many of these day-care providers out of business. Having shuttles means extra money out of other programs."

There is an irony that the state doesn't require busing of students to school if they live in town, but it does require busing to athletic events, even if the field is three blocks from the school, Wiger said.

Day Care Provider Ronda Lehman stated that three weeks is not enough time to raise $100,000 and the board should consider an extension, if possible. She also stated it would be more feasible to make both elementary schools kindergarten through sixth grade, making it easier for parents.

"Mankato has a limit of a mile and half for busing, but children don't have to cross busy streets," she said. "They make exceptions. Why can't we?"

The district has been discussing the matter with New Ulm Bus Lines, but the company had already made plans for reductions based on proposals from the district, Remme said.

"When we granted the extension, they scrambled to bring back buses and drivers," Remme said. "The company wanted some direction from the board. They have considered a $70,000 compromise provided busing doesn't end in the middle of the school year."

The advantages of having the elementary schools divided by grades, rather than K-6 sites, are peer interaction, better programming, and a more standard curriculum, Curriculum Director Bill Sprung said.

"If we start looking at exemptions, we are back where we are now," Leuthe said. "Busing has been a great service to the community, but the money is not there. We need education dollars for programs. There is no easy answer."

Resident Nick Manderfeld suggested that donations could be raised to support athletics, so tax dollars could be better utilized for more important programs, because busing is not a benefit, it's a responsibility.

"Priorities are set by the Legislature," Leuthe said. "The state could do something. Community awareness needs to rise so we can emphasize safety in the community."

Only one referendum is allowed per year by state law, and the next option will be 2001, and unless it's a mail ballot, which the district may not try again, it will have to be in November, Leuthe said.

"It will be crucial to pass a referendum in 2001, because our current one expires in 2002," he said. "We don't want to waste our efforts on another mail ballot. We took a beating last time. Community input all year helps us make better decisions."

All areas will be looked at in the next phase of cuts, and nothing will be safe, Ullery said.