Transportation Services Budget February 4, 2010

Josh Davis, Director

1

Transportation: Recent Actual Expenses

2006-07: $9.4 million 2007-08: $9.8 million 2008-09: $9.6 million – under budget,

contributed $400K to fund balance School Board and Board of Supervisors

granted $213K from fund balance to procure GPS system.

Annual VDOE Report December 2007 VCU Resource Utilization Study noted ACPS

Transportation cost per mile = $2.77. Annual Pupil Transportation Report to VDOE:

◦ 2007-08: $3.14 per mile◦ 2008-09: $2.97 per mile for regular buses, $4.53 for special

needs buses. VDOE fails to subtract out “Rebates and Refunds – Other

Motor Vehicles” from our total operating costs (per Annual School Report).  Cost of $834K represents credits from local government for fueling and servicing their vehicles. This credit would reduce our cost per mile by $0.25 to $2.72.

2009-10 Budget Total Transportation budget = $8.9 million (-

11.5% from FY08-09 budget).◦ School Division total reductions = $2.32 million. ◦ Transportation budget declined $1.15 million (50% of

Division cuts).

Spending more than budgeted to support driver training, overtime.◦ Driver training has cost at least $90K since hiring freeze

lifted (have trained/hired ~ 50 new drivers and transportation assistants since April 2009).

◦ Paying ~48 hours of overtime per week for mechanics to drive buses.

Transportation ExpensesFY09-10 Budget

Salaries

Fuel

RepairPartsNewBusesOther

Opportunities for EfficiencyReduce Deadhead Mileage

Assigned routes closer to bus parking locations for 2009-10.

Reduce parking buses at driver homes (up to 600,000 deadhead miles).

Reduce diesel fuel consumption, maintenance by 10-20%.

Historical diesel fuel consumption = 412,000 gallons per year.

Purchases through mid-January (midpoint of school year) = 192,000 gallons (-9%).

Deadhead Parking Analysis Total fleet mileage = 3.2 million miles per year (1.3 million

deadhead)

0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000

0- 25 miles perday

25- 50 milesper day

> 50 milessaved per day

Total Fleet Miles Saved

* Parking is limited at some schools

27 drivers

24 drivers

55 drivers

2010-11 Proposed Budget Reduction Transportation Efficiencies - Reduce Deadhead

Mileage ($150,000) Reduce parking buses at driver homes and use GPS to

monitor and minimize deadhead mileage. These actions should cut diesel fuel consumption and maintenance costs by 10-20%.

Original Budget

Savings with 10% reduction

Savings with 20% reduction

Diesel Fuel* $988,800 $98,800 $197,760

Repair Parts $532,000 $53,200 $106,400

Total $1,520,800 $152,000 $304,160

* Assumes average price of $2.40 per gallon

Opportunities for Efficiency Consolidation of Bus Routes

Fewer routes/drivers ◦ Ridership

55% of manifest at middle and high schools 67% of manifest at elementary schools

◦ Apply walk criteria to bus stops more stringently.◦ Increase walk zone around designated schools.◦ Transport more Special Needs students on regular

buses.

2010-11 Proposed Budget Reduction Transportation Efficiencies - Redesign Bus

Routes ($200,000) Reduce current level of service to eliminate 5-10%

of current bus routes and associated bus driver positions (6 to 12 drivers).

Require high school students to register for bus transportation. Increase the radius of walk zones around designated schools. These actions will result in higher load factors (% of bus capacity utilized) and longer bus rides (60 to 90 minutes) for a significant number of students.

Route Reduction Analysis:Albemarle High/Jouett Middle

SchoolAlbemarle Ridership

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

55%

60%

0-15 15-30 30-45 45-60 60-75 75-90 90-105

Ride Time In Minutes

Stu

den

ts

38 bus routes (32 arepaired with elementary routes)

Actual ridership:31 students per bus

Planned ridership:61 students per bus

2010-11 Proposed Budget Reduction Transportation Efficiencies - Special

Education ($40,000) Review special education student

transportation requirements. Identify students that can ride regular school buses with transportation assistants or ride in cars. This action would reduce the demand for special needs bus drivers (2 drivers = $40K).

Bus Driver Salaries – FY08-09

11700 Salaries – Bus Drivers

$3,170,687 $3,345,832 -$175,145

117101 – Credit Salaries Bus Drivers (field trip reimbursements)

-$396,026 -$225,637 -$170,389

157100 – Sub/Wages – Bus Drivers

$98,000 $200,532 -$102,532

Total $2,872,661 $3,320,727 -$448,066

08-09 Budget 08-09 Actual Difference

Benefit expenses were $134,058 less than budgeted.

Hire The Right Number of Drivers

Spent $314,008 more than budgeted for bus driver salaries and benefits during an acute driver shortage in FY08-09.

23 Members of VMF staff drove a bus or served as transportation assistant. Nine shop personnel drove an average of 241 times during FY 08-09.

Spent the equivalent of 25 FTE to do 10-15 FTE of work.

Need to fully staff all routes and hire relief drivers (with benefits) as subs for absentees…..like Building Services custodians.

2010-11 Proposed Budget Reduction

Transportation Pay Reform ($32,000) The Transportation Pay Reform Action

Committee (PRAC) is working to revise pay policies and deploy a time management system.

The department expects increased costs for payment of driving time (time from parking areas to and from first/last bus stops) and reduced costs for payment of non-driving time.

Wage Codes Implemented wage codes to better account

for payroll costs for overtime, field/athletic/ activity trips, “extra duties,” substitute driving, training.

Data from 2009-10 will improve planning for future budgets.

Attendance Incentive Pay $50 to each employee for perfect

attendance during each 9-week grading period.

107 employees earned the incentive for first grading period of 2009-10.

Transportation attendance is at a 5-year high.

Bus Replacement Goal is 13-year cycle. Driving 1994 buses now. Fleet of 220 buses requires replacing 17

buses per year. Bought 6 buses this year ($500K), will buy

one more Special Needs bus with ARRA funding.

2010-11 budget request includes $500K.

Summary Transportation has opportunities for

efficiency and cost reductions. Hire the right number of drivers. Must budget for supplementary missions

and some overtime.