Current School Board Issues

INFORMATIONAL MEETING
BARRE TOWN MIDDLE AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
RE: ONE WAVE BUS SYSTEM

For the past years, the Barre Town School Board has been studying changing its transportation system to picking up and dropping off students in a single wave rather than the current two wave system. Our transportation system hasn’t changed much from years ago when the school was transporting almost 1,200 students. The two wave system has become inefficient and costly for 800 students. Many of our buses are only half full. It is also inconvenient for families and divides the school in two parts with separate schedules.

We are considering a contract with a leasing company to add more buses and provide drivers for our buses which we will keep. By leasing a few more buses, we can pick up all the children at once and reduce the total number of bus runs needed. This change would save a lot of money, particularly if we also form a partnership with Barre City.

We believe that this change would be an improvement and a benefit to children, parents, and the school as well as taxpayers. We recognize that the Barre Town community has some concerns and questions which we would like the opportunity to answer. We want to explain our proposal and hear what people think. Please come to an informational meeting at the Barre Town School on Wednesday night, March 31, 2010 at 6:30.

Thank you.

Barre Town School Board of Directors

Brenda Buzzell 479-2101
Laura Moore 476-3373
Brent Tewksbury 476-9960
William Kirkland 476-7447
John (Jay) Paterson 476-7440
 

BARRE TOWN SINGLE WAVE BUSING PROPOSAL

ADVANTAGES

• School runs on one schedule not staggered schedules
• Entire faculty can meet and work together
• Support Services i.e. library, nurse, clerical, etc. on same schedule
• Improved safety: older children can look after younger students at the bus stop and walking to and from bus stops
• Students waiting at bus stop or walking home in daylight not darkness
• School starts later; half the children don’t have to get up so early
• Students spend less time riding bus
• Families on same schedule making it easier to arrange their children’s day and for parents to coordinate their work schedules
• Reduces child care needs and transitions for children
• Back up system and buses for emergency evacuation of the whole school
• Less pollution from fuel
• Better service, leasing company provides spare drivers and buses

ISSUES AND CONCERNS

• Overcrowded bus stops
• Different drivers
• Discipline and mixing older and younger children

SAVES MONEY

• 28 runs per day instead of 40
• Reduces mileage driven
• Saves fuel
• Saves driver time
• Saves maintenance costs on buses
• Buses last longer
• Spare buses not needed
• Buses and drivers can make another trip to pick up Barre City children separately if the two schools have different but coordinated schedules

Current Costs - $600,000
Estimated Costs - $450,000
Estimated Savings - $150,000
Savings will be even greater if there is a joint contract with Barre City

PROPOSED UPDATE OF THE BARRE TOWN MIDDLE
AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KITCHEN AND CAFETERIA

The kitchen at our school has most of the original equipment since the school opened in 1966. There are existing safety and efficiency issues for the students and staff. We currently serve nearly 500 lunches daily in addition to an increasing breakfast program.

For two and a half years, the facilities committee has been evaluating a potential update to this area of our school. The School Health Advisory Committee, also know as SHAC, presented the School Board with a draft in October 2007. The twenty-five page report contained the rearrangement and replacement of equipment, storage space, refrigeration, and work spaces. In addition, the serving areas would be divided into hot and cold food lines. This will provide a smoother flow. We invited the professional Chef, Tim Kingzett, to evaluate the needs for the kitchen and cafeteria areas.

Many thanks to Susan Barnard, Patty Merriam, and Laura Moore of the SHAC Committee, and also to Chef Tim Kingzett for his professional help.

We want thank the Barre Town Community for supporting the kitchen renovation project.

Your Barre Town School Board
March 2010