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Apparently, we are in a bad enough way that we had to outsource our bus drivers just to get some extra coin.
(By the way, if you haven't clicked the link, please check out The Alternative Press of Lower Providence. They're doing a great job of keeping up in Lower Providence news, and a better job than I talking about school board news.)
Now, we are in a bad financial situation. The district is losing money, either from the residential tax base declining, from businesses moving out (like two Wawa's in Lower Providence moving to West Norriton and Upper Providence), or from the businesses fighting for a reassessment. Our income is going down, but expenses for Methacton is starting to break the $100 Million barrier, and with little signs of stopping. The buried but never dead Turf Field Project is still on the table, presumably, and no doubt the $825,000 or so we're going to save will go towards the current bastardized plans.
The major question is, will it be worth it in the end?
I mean, these aren't the lunch ladies, where no one wanted to see them outsourced, but the impact wasn't as major as losing the bus drivers (even though the food was terrible when the switch started). I mean, even if the food service people screw up everything they serve, the kids can get around it by packing a lunch.
But were talking about, honestly, the only group of people who is completely in charge of the students well-being. If the lunch person screws up cooking the pizza, big deal, they eat the costs (pun!) and re-make it. If the bus driver drops the kid off at the wrong stop...well, you get the picture.
And like most corporate, privately-owned, national level service companies, is that they have a structure to everything. If the route is planned, it's planned. There is little wiggle-room for adaptations (like the parent's aren't present at the stop), and the number one thing I have learned working my main job in the deli, is that things going to plan is time to be celebrated. Meaning, things almost always never go according to plan.
With First Student driving kids home, when the driver runs late, it affects them in their pay. Very, very few people work at a job and are a-okay losing money to make sure the job is done one hundred percent properly. That's actually the opposite on how jobs are supposed to work.
I have heard the rumors about First Student, as well. Especially about the First Student driver who ditched a kid after getting into an argument. Or texting while driving. Or how other school districts are looking into getting a different transportation service. It's not a particularly reassuring. To anyone.
And it hurts on a personal level. I have a friend I've known for years whose mother is a bus driver. Guess who was just told they're not working come next school year? Oh, but it's okay, First Student is going to offer to re-hire the bus drivers. Not a guarantee, but an offer--which is a slap in the face. Like with Aramark, I'm willing to put money down that less than fifty percent of the bus drivers who re-applied for a driving job will get it.
So, to recap, MSD in essance screwed over our bus drivers, who most are district residents, in order to save a couple bucks? And you thought the green in our district didn't represent our love for money!
If and when this whole situation blows up in the boards face, I hope those who voted for First Student seriously consider their stance on running for re-election. In fact, I hope those running now consider. I don't think this kind of move, right on the heels of the Coach Maida debacle, paints our district in any sort of prevailing positivity.
Meanwhile, remember that it can always get worse here.
It is not the responsibility of the public to pay for support personnel. All support personnel should be out-sourced (i.e. maintenance, bus-drivers, food service, nursing, etc). Only teachers and administrators should be financially supported by the public. Our children will survive, this is the not the first time that a school district has out-sourced personnel to private employers. Is it unfortunate that people may no longer be permitted to have the "perks" associated with being a government employee, but it is reality, unless of course every school district employee would like to be paid between 35,000.00 and 65,000.00 a year, work 12 months of the year (like everyone else) and schools are closed or moth-balled (which may not be a bad idea). Welcome to the "real word" people begin to accept it, because its to late to fight against it!
ReplyDeleteIn response to the comment above - Whether a service is outsourced or not, taxpayers still foot the bill. Who do you think pays for the service if it's outsourced? Get a clue.
ReplyDeleteI do have a clue, its just at a much cheaper cost! Now who needs a clue?
ReplyDeleteActually it's not. For whatever reason, transportation costs in Methacton's 2014-15 budget are increasing. Get your facts straight.
ReplyDeletedo you really believe that bringing in a private company with a very bad track record is better than having drivers who live in the district and pay taxes to the district? You better get a clue. They out sourced the food service and there has been nothing but complaints about the food and the district hasn't seen the savings that they claimed we would since more students are bringing their lunches. Since when did the most expensive employees in this district "work" 12 months a year? Does anyone realize that the bus drivers are 100% responsible for the safety of your children when they get on that bus? Has Methacton had any major incidents regarding the transportation of the students? No. These were loyal, long term districts employees who got the shaft from the district just so they can take the money from the sale of the buses, and they won't diclose how much, and put it towards the turf project that WE, the taxpayers, can't afford. Maybe you should attend sb meetings on a regular basis and you would see the smoke and mirror show they are putting on every month and most taxpayers buy it hook, line and sinker!. They need to out source the teachers, maybe our test scores would go up and we would finally get a return on our investment. They ones I feel sorry for are the students, because every year they get the crumbs left over from the budget. And I agree, get your facts straight!
ReplyDeleteNo. I don't think transportation should be outsourced. The only reasons to outsource any function are because there are major, unsolvable issues with the internal process (not true here) or to save significant $ (not true here either). Outsourcing transportation is yet another stupid decision made by this school board. Unfortunately, few people care given the lack of meeting attendance and results of recent elections.
DeleteYes, they are increasing due to final payments to their pensions and also for final payment to those who are retiring due to the transfer to 1st Student, so once again get the facts straight on the WHOLE story!
ReplyDeleteOh by the way we need to stop "catering" to the children, yes they are children, but the need to be prepared for the "real word," not the fantasy land that everyone wants to believe we live in.
ReplyDeleteThat's your most ignorant comment yet.
DeleteThan your just to naive yourself.
ReplyDeleteWe have to stop catering to the students! But we keep catering to the teachers who are overpaid and underworked right? They are the only people in the school district who have job security. The enrollment is and will continue to drop but, oh my god, we can't lay off any teachers! The average teacher's salary in this district is $75,000 a year with nice benefits but out test scores are have not increased. What exactly are we paying the teachers for, to show up?
ReplyDeleteHow about the parents prepare their children for the real world! The schools are supposed to give a child an education, it's the parents "job" to teach their children how to cope in the "real world". Maybe if you have any money left over after you pay your tax increase, you can buy a clue!