Bloomfield school district cuts busing within a mile of campus

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Bloomfield School Board voted Monday night to stop bus transportation for all students who live within a mile of the school campus after discussing the state funding cuts for transportation this past year, the Daily Statesman newspaper reported.

The board also approved a resolution allowing $1.5 million in bonds to be issued for new roofs on the elementary and high school building and other building improvements.

The decision to stop providing bus service to students within a mile of the campus came as the final item on the agenda. Superintendent Dr. Nicholas Thiele told the board that state transportation funding is dropping and the district must do something to lower costs.

Thiele said the district has already consolidated bus routes in an effort to cut transportation cost, but another area in which the district would cut costs is to stop picking up students who live less than a mile from the campus.

"We receive no funding for picking up students who live less a mile from the school," Thiele told the board.

Thiele said last year the district picked up 75 students in that area. He estimated the savings to the district to be between $25,000 and $30,000 annually.

Thiele said the district could be faced with cutting approximately $130,000 from their budget next year. He said the district had already cut $100,000 by not replacing personnel that had left the district and covering those vacancies with existing personnel. He said the decision to stop picking up students near the schools would almost account for the remainder of the needed cuts.

"Unfortunately, these are the types of cuts we're going to have to look at," Thiele stated.

Thiele said that in the 1970s the district had only five bus drivers, but in the last few years they have had eight drivers. The proposal by Thiele calls for six drivers, plus a driver for a vocational route.

A handout was provided that showed the one-mile-mark for several routes within the city where bus service will end. Those points were: the top of the hill at the Tyson Plant on Highway E, the top of the hill at JR's Quick Stop on South Prairie, the bridge on North Prairie, the dead end on Depot Road, Hannel Lane on Highway J and the intersection of county roads 426 and 409.

Board member Trevor Pulley asked about families dropping off students at a bus stop outside the one-mile radius.

Thiele said transportation guidelines stipulate that a student must live where he is picked up to receive state funding, so the district would not receive funding for those students. He said the district might work with a family if there was a hardship, but that would not be a permanent solution.

Thiele said he hoped students who live in the affected area would opt to walk or ride a bike to school. He pointed out that the decision could lead to more traffic at the schools with parents bringing students to school and that some adjustments may have to be made after implementation.

Board member David Cooper asked if it was a decision that needed to be made now or something for the board to consider.

"I see this as a doable thing," Thiele said. "We need to do it tonight to implement it for this school year."

Board member Bill Robison asked whether the district would have a chance to meet with parents to discuss the decision, and Thiele said parents could talk with district officials at registration about the new policy. He said if it became necessary, the district could hold some public meetings on the decision.

When asked for a motion by Board President Don Lafferty, Cooper stated he would make the motion "reluctantly." It passed by a 7-0 vote with Lafferty, Cooper, Robison, Pulley, Ryan Mayo, David Battles and John Newell present.

Tom Pisarkewicz, vice president of the LJ Hart Company, and Amanda Weis, analyst, addressed the board about the sale of $1.5 million in bonds that was approved by voters in the April election.

Hart told the board "the bonds are committed". He said Bloomfield qualified for $660,832 in Qualified School Construction bonds and was awaiting approval of $839,168 in Qualified Zone Academy bonds. Both programs are backed by the federal government which pays the interest on the bonds up to an established ceiling.

Pisarkewicz said the Bank of Advance had committed to buying the School Construction bond and First Commercial Bank had committed to buying the Quality Zone bond. The rate of interest on each bond is 5.3 percent, Pisarkewicz told the board. He said the cap on interest paid by the government is at 5.38 percent, so the bonds would be interest-free for the district as long as they submitted the proper paperwork.

Pisarkewicz said the money generated from the additional tax approved by voters for the bonds would be placed in a bank on a monthly basis and would draw two percent interest until the annual payout to the bond holders. The bonds are to be paid off over 15 years.

Pisarkewicz said by obtaining the special federal bonds and by accruing interest on deposited funds, the district stood to save $1.08 million over the 15 year life of the bonds. Of that amount, approximately $839,000 was from savings on interest.

Weis reviewed the itemized costs of issuing the bonds including money to LJ Hart and other costs associating with issuing the bonds. Pisarkewicz said the only hold-up was waiting for official sign off for the Quality Zone bond, but that should take place later this week.

The board unanimously passed resolutions approving the issuing of both bonds.

Thiele asked the board for approval to install new HVAC roof units on the elementary cafeteria and the Middle School multi-purpose room. He said there were two units on the Middle School roof and five units on the elementary cafeteria. Thiele said he thought they could cut the units on the cafeteria back to three units because "we've never had more than three working at one time in recent years." He said he also believed that could reduce the size of the Middle School units to save money.

Thiele said there were two options for installing the two units. They could take bids on the projects or pick a vendor for each unit and "do it as five different projects" which would keep it from going above the $15,000 level which requires a bid process.

Thiele said the new units on the elementary cafeteria could qualify for bond money since they are part of the roof, but the Middle School units could come from money set aside for capital improvements. Thiele said there was money in that account to pay for the units.

A motion was made to take two separate bids, one on three units for the cafeteria and one for two units on the Middle School. It passed by a 7-0 vote.

In other action the board:

* Voted to award milk and bread bids as submitted by the Stoddard County Activities Association. The milk bid went to the only company to submit a bid, Prairie Farms, and the break contract went to Flowers Bakery.

* Was informed by Thiele that the district received a 90 percent on the Missouri Highway Patrol school bus inspection program.

* Set the fee for providing vocational bus transportation for Richland students at $4,000, the same as last year.

* Heard a report from Thiele on revenue that could be raised in the general operating account by waiving the Proposition C rollback on real estate. Thiele said the waiver could add $86,000 annually to operations, but it would take approval of the voters. No action was taken.