As I drive to work, I see buses marked "Durham School Services," "Charleston County School District," AND "South Carolina State Schools."
The P & C in its expose of South Carolina's aging school bus fleet made the point that all buses are owned by the state; therefore, it's the state legislature's responsibility to provide funds to buy new ones. So, WHAT is going on in CCSD?- Is the state not providing enough buses to Charleston County?
- Has the district bought buses of its own?
- Do the buses that say "Durham School Services" belong to the State of South Carolina?
Furthermore, one of my commenters had some rather disturbing information to pass along regarding CCSD and CARTA:
"CCSD had a program to give CARTA passes to high school and middle school kids which would have been usable 24/7 for an entire semester. They were also renewable for each subsequent semester and only cost the student/parent $5 each. CCSD paid the difference ($35, I think). Trouble is they only offered the program at two low income, low performing, high minority schools. Even so they didn't promote the program and as many as half of the 400 pre purchased passes were never distributed [italics mine]. It looked like they didn't want to do anything to undermine the private bus service they had under contract. Never mind that CARTA is begging for customers and provides a much more flexible, cheaper and cleaner service."
Assuming the $35 figure is correct, that would be times 200 = $7000 of wasted taxpayers' money. While we're at it, would someone please explain why CARTA isn't used by the school district?
15 comments:
I wonder why CCSD only offered the CARTA bus passes to students at Burke and Stall last year and not to students at West Ashley or Wando. Could it be that they assumed that only 'those' people would ride a city bus. Too bad. With so many kids from the resort islands going to Buist if they used CARTA instead their numbers could cause those routes to be sustainable.
CARTA has been slow to cut deals with MUSC and CofC, but it makes no sense for CARTA & CCSD not to cooperate to provide bus service to the local public schools. Taxpayers are still paying for both systems. It's true that CARTA is cleaner, safer and more frequent. CARTA drivers are unionized and Durham Services drivers are not.
Normally I'd say you get what you pay for but from the customer's perspective it sounds like CARTA is a lot better deal than Durham. If the cost per student is something like $70-$80 per year per student for CARTA, I wonder what CCSD is paying Durham. I'll bet it's a lot more than $80 per student.
The contracted bus service carries students to the magnet schools from all across the county...or as CCSD likes to say, a county that is 100 miles long. Under "No Child Left Behind" CCSD will only provide transportation to the school "choice" they assign the student to attend...not the preferred school choice of the parent.
Have you noticed that both Sullivan's Island and Mt. Pleasant Academy are not on the receiving list for schools under NCLB. The excuse for Mt. Pleasant Academy is that school is occupying swing space this year while its new building is under construction. But the excuse for not including Sullivans Island is a little more interesting. The CCSD official in charge of NCLB (Ms. English-Watson) said that Sullivans Island is "too far to pay for transportation" so it was left off the list of receiving institutions even though it is recognized as one of our most successful public elementary schools. CCSD doesn't seem to have any trouble with providing 3 buses from the Isle of Palms, Sullivans Island & old Mt. Pleasant areas to bring kids downtown to Buist. So what's the problem with transporting a few downtown kids to Sullivans Island? Last time I checked, Buist Academy was just as far from Sullivans Island Elem. School as Sullivans Island was from downtown. I'd like to know just how much the Buist buses are costing us. I already know what the Sullivans Island buses cost us...nothing.
Durham School Services owned those buses. Buses with Charleston County School District are owned by the district and all other are owned by the state. Larger disticts and some smaller districts purchase their own business with their names on them. The owner is reponsible for all repairs and maintence of those buses.
I have a crush on Annabelle L. What a great post! But, don't get too involved in bussing children to Sullivan's Island boutiique sCHool. Remember, this is the school that was not good enough for either Jenny Sanford or many of the friends of Alice Paylor--the so-called "Buist cheaters." So let's tear it down, sell the land to greedy developers, and give the money to the parents of the children who want to attend the proposed Math and Science Charter School.
To Anonymous 12:01 PM: I'd like to know if CCSD is paying Durham School Services to transport kids to any of the magnet schools. The Superintendent went out of her way to assure everyone that the private contractor was not servicing Buist. Why would it be important to make that distinction?
I kinda like the concept of neighborhood schools. So why do we need to clog up our highways with so many buses and force kids to spend hours at a time stuck in these yellow boxes anyway? I think we need to scrap the buses altogether and put the money into creating better neighborhood schools. Oh, and I think Sullivan's Island having their own school is just fine, if we could all have one just as good for every neighborhood.
I forgot. I heard last year that Brentwood kids were being bussed to Moultrie and Laing, bypassing Cario, and regularly arriving late, sometimes 2 hours late. When they arrive the students can’t go to class until they get breakfast sometimes after 9:30 and just as the first lunch period is beginning. I heard that some classes are held up when so many arrive late. This isn't anyway to educate kids. Has anything changed with the new superintendent?
Please note the P&C coverage, given this week and last, to lend credence to Nancy Cook, Hillery Douglas and Brain Moody; 3 of the former school board board members who supported, uneqivocably, the former superintendent. After-the-fact, they speak their mind; however, during the fray, they are all fence-sitters, incabable of taking a definitive position, one that might expose them for what they are really all about; that being, endorsing and perpetuating the status quo.
Also note County Council's financial contributions to so-called non-profits like "Communities in Schools" run locally by Jane Riley, the Mayor's sister, who has led this unsuccessful endeavor since 1989. It's a non-profitable, non-producer that has consistantly failed the students it purportedly serves, while feeding off the contributions of people who think they are doing good.
The whole system is crooked and will never even begin to change until you elect true conservatives to the school board, people who will watch over the proponderance of you tax dollars.
Talk is cheap. You have to find people who can beat Hampton-Green, Douglas and Cook. Actions speak louder than words.
I remember on this blog a person who was later quoted on a Seattle School Blog saying of Goodloe-Johnson something like, "Pleeeze take this women from us". Well Seattle did take her...and Mike Tolley...and Don Kennedy. Now I say..."Pleeeze take some more of them from us!"
I find it very interesting that MT. Pleasant Academy was left off of the NCLB receiving schools list due to their swing status until their school is finished, what about Moultrie, they too share old Wando with MT. Pleasant Academy and are currently overflowing with NCLB kids.
Good point, Anonymous 7:07 AM. Someone needs to explain the inconsistancies in how CCSD administers the NCLB progam. There is too much room for error, or worse, violating the civil rights and fair treatment of people who are too trusting. The system proves that it is corrupt at almost every turn. Dr. McGinley, if you want to win our trust, show us that you care by cleaning up the mess...don't just tell us you care and then move on. In that case you're just a "kinder and gentler" MGJ. In the end we're still suffering on your plantation.
Anonymous 6:12 PM:
John Graham Altman was a "true conservative?" And where did that get us?
We don't need ideologues of any stripe. We need honest people who will not use their positions to feather their own nests.
So, first chance we get, let's say good-bye to Uncle Arthur, Toya, Hillery, Nancy, Gregg, and little Joe too. And take Alice Paylor with you.
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