Perryville busing system almost in place

Sarah Orf and Melissa Hemmann have hit the ground running in the just-formed Perry County School District transportation department -- made up of the two women and bus drivers.

Starting this fall, the district will begin a lease agreement with Midwest Bus Sales, based in Tonganoxie, Kansas, that could save the district an estimated $600,000 to $700,000, superintendent Scott Ireland has said.

Midwest Bus Sales bid $455,289 per year for five years. Ireland estimated other costs at $727,903 for a total of $1,183,192. The approximate savings was the difference between the district's contract with Meyer Bus Lines and the Midwest Bus Sales bid.

The pact with Midwest Bus Sales includes 41 buses equipped with three cameras each.

The package includes bus maintenance, and fuel will be included in the district's budget. Plans are to build a lot for the buses in back of the career center and to purchase a fuel tank to be kept on site, Ireland said.

Orf has 17 years of transportation experience with Meyer Bus Lines and wanted to extend her time in the field.

Hemmann was most recently executive director of the Perryville Chamber of Commerce.

"I feel it's been a good match so far," Hemmann said. "I've always said, with her transportation experience and my business background and connections in the community, that I just think Scott Ireland did a good job when he hired the both of us, because it's just a good fit."

Buses are scheduled to be picked up this month. The district has hired 22 drivers and needs 10 more. Orf said applicants have been mostly local, including some transfers from Meyer, but some have come in from out of town, as well.

The next step is getting the bus drivers ready for work. Prospective drivers have to undergo background checks, physicals, drug testing and eight hours of certified training, Orf said.

Kate Martin, Perry County School District communications director, said Orf and Hemmann will walk interested people through the process of obtaining their commercial driver's licenses. They also have training materials available and can direct applicants to other materials. They'll even take applicants who have passed the written test to Sikeston, Missouri, to take the driving test in one of the district buses, if they don't already have the proper licensing, Martin said.

Hemmann said previous bus driving experience and having a CDL are plusses, because earning a CDL takes time. The two are also looking for people who are good with children, and have a lot of patience and a clean driving record.

Martin said the district is encouraging applicants to apply by the middle of July to get licensed by the time school starts.

Orf began her duties June 2, and Hemman on June 23.

"They're an awesome team," Martin said. " ... Mr. Ireland and the board have worked very diligently to make sure that going forward we have the very best people in place for our transportation department. We're all thrilled to have somebody with Sarah's experience and Melissa's experience to join the staff. They say over and over that safety is the No. 1 priority. We've all been so impressed with how committed they are to making sure that we're going to have safe and reliable transportation for our students."

Hemmann said a lot of what she and Orf are doing right now is better familiarizing themselves with state laws, the forms they need to keep track of for reporting and auditing and getting the drivers hired and up to speed. Hemmann said she's already learned a lot from Orf.

"We have a lot of good contacts to call on," Hemmann said, including the Missouri Department of Transportation, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and other transportation directors.

The district will transport 1,500 students daily, run 31 routes to and from school and take care of field trips, sporting events and special activities, Orf said. There also are five special service routes.

Orf said the district has not heard back from parochial schools about providing transportation, so she's assuming they are not going to use the district's buses.

Martin said those schools previously contracted independently with Meyer Bus Lines. State law bars public schools from transporting children who aren't enrolled in public schools if the district operates the bus system itself.

Additionally, Martin said the district is moving ahead with construction of its bus lot and bus shed, where the transportation office will be housed. For now, it's in the Career Center.

"They're going through the planning and permitting process right now," Martin said.

The land to be used is home to a corn field, which could be harvested by the time construction is finished. Target date for that is Oct. 1, and until then, the buses will be housed on the current lot.

"We have different areas that the students plant and they work with the community on things like that, and we have a greenhouse for other crops," Martin said. "But this is corn. If the timeline works out, they'll harvest. If it doesn't, we'll lose the crop. The buses take precedence."

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Pertinent address:

326 College St., Perryville, Missouri