Tough Choices

To the Editor:

A routine bidding process used throughout the state to assure that the taxpayers receive the most cost-effective transportation services has caused dissension within the community, but also confirmed that our local bus company can be competitive.

Letters sent to The Bee by those with a biased perspective were a desperate attempt to discredit professionals for doing their jobs. Taking segments of memos and referring to the bid process done six years ago claiming that the evaluation at that time was flawed is simply untrue. School administration should not be condemned for providing the Board of Education (BOE) with information it needs to make responsible decisions. Nobody was misled and no false information was provided. It is fortunate that these libelous authors don’t speak for, or have credibility with, the majority of drivers.

Administration’s job is to analyze options available to the BOE and recommend the lowest cost solution for services while also looking to the future for savings. This is about money.

In February, five companies bid for a special transportation contract in Newtown. Transportation is the third largest component of the BOE’s budget, preceded by salaries and benefits. This bid process provided the due diligence to assure that the community got the best economic value for this service while also attempting to sustain education programs and services.

Six years ago the BOE knew they were going to pay more for these services than they needed to when they chose to award the contract to MLM (now MTM). The current process demonstrated that we can conservatively save Newtown about $1.7 to $2 million over the next five years. There is no other service in the BOE’s budget that comes close to saving that amount. So kudos to MTM for recognizing the current economic realities and validating that they can provide services at market rates by offering an adjustment to their original proposal.

As for the owner/operators, this bid ascertained that they are more costly than a fleet operation. It must be made crystal clear to the community that the bid validated that bus service could be provided at the market rate of $280 per day, rather than the $368 per day frozen rate that we are required to pay owner/operators next school year. That equals a premium of $15,840 per vehicle. Multiply that by 35 buses times five years and the amount approaches $2.5 to $3 million.

Tough choices are being made. Shortly, a number of people will lose their positions in this district and employee wages will be frozen; not because they weren’t doing a good job, but because of current economics. It takes a great deal of courage and leadership to take action to pursue savings. With our current limited resources, our job is to recommend the best decisions possible on behalf of the students and taxpayers of Newtown.

Ronald J. Bienkowski

Director of Business

Newtown Public Schools

31 Peck’s Lane, Newtown                                                 May 20, 2009