School transportation personnel present another view
To the editor:
In response to the letter published last week from Mr. Cochran, Quality education, not yellow dinosaurs, must drive the future of our schools!:
We are insulted by your comments concerning LCSD school buses and what you call “unsupervised time produced an environment conducive to drugs, sex and bullying. Swearing, fighting and student assaults.” Are you telling us that this type of behavior does not occur in school hallways, school restrooms, and, on school campuses? To say what you said implies that the buses we drive are occupied by hoodlums and sex fiends, and, that such activity is an everyday occurrence, which is far from reality. This statement tells us what you think of not only Bus Operators and Attendants, but the student population as well.
How dare you also state, “Fact is nothing good happens on a school bus.” Please tell us where you obtained this FACT? Let me tell you just a few of the GOOD things that happen every day on a school bus. Bus Operators and Attendants can be the first friendly face the child sees each morning and the last smile they see each afternoon. Bus Operators and Attendants care for the children on their bus as if these children were their own! Bus operators transport children in wheel chairs, leg braces, and a variety of other physical and emotional challenges. When a child is left home alone in the morning and come to the bus to go to school, many of us finish dressing the child and attend to their needs. Some of us supply the child with lunch money and school supplies. We assist them with their seat belts and car seats. Oh, yes sir, these “yellow Dinosaurs” have these safety features. We teach the physically handicapped how to negotiate the stairs on the bus by themselves and watch the expression of pride and accomplishment on their faces when they do so. Children ask us questions about their home work and life in general. We transport the world’s most precious cargo. We transport our kids to sporting events, school outings, the drug odyssey, (if you even know what that is), high school band competitions, after school activities, and a myriad of other events. I could continue, however I hope you get the point. One School Bus Operator was awarded the LCSD Support Person of the year. Do you know what that is? So please don’t insult us any further with more statements like, nothing good happens on a school bus, or riding on a bus adds no educational value.
You also stated that “Modern-day yellow dinosaurs are similar to their ancestors that hauled workers in the Depression” Please! Are you saying that our buses have wooden seats, wood spoke wheels, hard rubber tires, and, are not safe? Today’s school buses are statistically the safest way to transport a child home to school, and, school to home. Today’s school buses have to meet stringent federal and state safety requirements, and, we are all trained professionals. In fact sir, the LCSD transportation Department along with its School Bus Operators has an exceptional safety record that is better than the national average. Not bad for as you stated in your letter for 12 million miles traveled. Actually, according to the District Web page, as of Sept 2011, it’s 13.5 million miles. I think perhaps you may have read this in the TRANSPAR report (an independent evaluation of the LCSD Transportation Sept 2010) but neglected to bring it forward in your facts.
We service approximately 93 schools, with 59 percent of the student population riding our buses. That’s about 51,000 children, (according to the District Web page) and at least 1600 more on the way, in a county with approximately 811 square miles You didn’t state in your letter that the transportation Budget was only 3 percent more than comparable districts at the release date of the TRANSPAR report. The pupil transportation service is only 6 percent of the school budget, and the 47 million dollar figure that you use is a snapshot figure, that needs to be broken down, under an umbrella of transportation cost in order to view the whole budget picture as to where the dollars are spent. These dollars include such things as school cost, field trips, activities, etc. not just home to school and school to home. Oh yes, your web pages states, annual $50 million transportation costs are unsustainable. Which is it, 47 million or 50 million? Do you know?
You state on your web page, when you present your facts, that “Effectiveness of the program is measured by parental happiness quotient and its convenience factor” Do ya think? The parents and the children ARE our customers. Before the cutbacks we had a 96 percent on time rating and over all a very satisfied customer base.
All of your incorrect or incomplete facts appear on your web page and in a guest editorial from August 2011 in the News Press. That’s almost seven months of inaccurate facts sir. This should show the citizens of Lee County that you have minimal knowledge of the daily operations of the LCSD Transportation Department, and, the lack the leadership needed to meet the challenges of the District’s future.
Please be more careful about what you say about an extremely dedicated group of LCSD employees. We vote too!
Sincerely,
Robert Day
Cape Coral