The preliminary results of a recent audit of the school district found $19 million in potential savings, and 40% of these inefficiencies are associated with overspending in pupil transportation. Because the schedules of city schools are not all the same, more buses are needed to transport students at certain times of the day. On average, regular buses run with 52% of its seats occupied, and special-education buses run with 18% of its seats occupied. These varying school schedules should be streamlined in order to reduce the number of buses needed. The audit also found that buses are in use without any passengers 40% of the time, referred to as “deadhead miles.” If Richmond could reduce this figure to 25%, they would save about $1.4 million.
This overspending is also caused in part by students who do not attend the school closest to their home. This out-of-zone transportation problem is costing the school system $3.4 million a year. The major overspending issue the audit found was school bus maintenance. Because some of the buses are over 15 years old, the city is spending way too much on maintaining them when it would be better in the long run to invest in new buses or look into leasing programs.
Despite the audit’s findings, the school board elected to pass their proposed budget, which they approved 7-2 on Feburary 12. Regarding the annualized 3.5% raise and elimination of about 130 positions, School Board Chairman George P. Braxton said that nothing would be final until the board receives its allocations from the City Council this spring.
