Review Agenda Item
Meeting Date: 1/30/2020 - 6:30 PM
Category: Report #2 of the Committee on Strategic Planning and Budget
Type: Action
Subject: 1. Action on Request to Approve Strategies to Reduce Transportation Expenditures and Increase Efficiencies
Strategic Plan Compatibility Statement:
Goal 3
Effective and Efficient Operations
Policy: Admin Policy 4.04 - Student Transportation Services
Attachments Proposed FY21 Transportation Changes
3 Tier Individual School Schedule
Optimizing Student Transportation Presentation
File Attachment:
Proposed FY21 Transportation Changes.pdf
Proposed 3 Tier Bell Schedules Sheet1.pdf
Optimizing Student Transportation Presentation 1-23-2020.pdf
Background: Milwaukee Public Schools provides transportation services to approximately 54,000 students annually for district, suburban, and private school students who live in Milwaukee or, if they participate in specialty programs such as Chapter 220, Homeless Education or Foster Placement Network Programs, in surrounding municipalities. The district also provides services for a variety of district-sponsored programs such as Head Start; Interscholastic Athletics; The Community Assessment and Training Program (CATP); Learning Journeys, and Special Olympics.

Chapter 121.54 of the Wisconsin Statutes spells out the provisions under which the school board of each district shall provide for the transportation of pupils, including establishment, administration, and scheduling of school bus routes. MPS Administrative Policy 4.04 further states that the Milwaukee Public Schools’ Transportation Services is to provide safe, adequate, efficient, and economical service to all eligible Milwaukee-resident students.

The Administration is exploring possible transportation modifications that optimize a regional transportation system that supports bus utilization to maximize efficiency. The Administration has put together two transportation restructure alternatives for consideration:

1) Pupil Transportation Service’s long term restructure plan to consider moving towards a 3 tier school bell schedule with high schools on the earliest tier (7:15am)

2) Pupil Transportation Service’s long term restructure plan to consider moving towards a 3 tier school bell schedule with high schools on the latest tier (9:00am)
Fiscal Impact Statement: The fiscal impact of the Administration’s proposed modifications depends on the range of implemented options. The potential savings range from $4,000,000 with high schools on the earliest tier or approximately $5,000,000 with high schools on the latest tier for FY21. Further savings can be achieved with regional development strategies that increase the efficiency of the 3 tier model.
Implementation and Assessment Plan Upon approval by the Board, the Administration will begin steps to implement one of the transportation proposals for the 2020-2021 school year. In this scenario, all Milwaukee Public Schools will have to modify their start and end times to conform with the proposed tiering model.
Recommendation: Your Committee recommends to hold this item in Committee and direct that the Administration take into consideration testimony at the January 23, 2020, meeting of the Committee on Strategic Planning and Budget and other communications received by the Board and bring back more information about the Individual Transportation Proposals to the Board no later than that April 2020 Board Cycle.
Approvals:
Recommended By:
Signed By:
Jacqueline M. Mann, Ph.D. - Board Clerk/Chief Officer