Published: August 20, 2009 02:58 am      

NEWFANE: School district will look at bus routes

NEWFANE — The Newfane Central School District is looking at its bus routes and implementing the rest of the recommendations from a study done on the district’s transportation services.

Superintendent Gary Pogorzelski told the Board of Education on Tuesday that the district is following through on the recommendations. Last fall, the district hired Transportation Advisory Services, a transportation consulting firm based in Walworth. The firm presented its findings and recommendations in January, calling Newfane’s contract with Ridge Road competitive, fair and advantageous to the district.

TAS recommended Newfane look into using Transfinder, a bus-routing computer program. But Pogorzelski said Transfinder would cost about $5,000 and is not eligible for any transportation aid. Instead, the district will take an in-depth look at its bus routes on a regular basis, including the number of kids and distance of routes.

“It’s lots of money,” he said. “And the staffing that we would have to maintain would have to be extensive. We don’t think it’s worth the value.”

District Business Administrator Bart Schuler said a presentation will made about the bus routes at the next meeting, Sept. 1.

Some of the other recommendations include having the transportation service provider, Ridge Road Express, attend an annual meeting with Newfane’s Parents, Teachers and Students Association. Pogorzelski said the meeting is being scheduled, as is another suggested annual meeting between the district’s administrators.

District buses will also have cameras, another big concern from the transportation study report.

“All but one of the full-size buses are now equipped with cameras,” Pogorzelski said. “By March 2010, all full-sized buses will be equipped.”

There were also some questions about bus aides. Pogorzelski said there might have been a misconception that Newfane has bus aides on all district buses. Not the case, he said. Bus aides are there for two categories of students: special education needs and both pre-kindergarten and kindergarten kids.

Changes are also being made for handicapped students in the interest of safety. That includes being dropped off at the regular bus circles in front of the schools, instead from around the back of the building, Schuler said.

Pogorzelski said there is a meeting set up in September that deals with the district’s bell times, times when school starts and ends. A study committee will be set up, involving administrators, to help look at whether changes can be made on the times for the different buildings.

“That’s going to take some studying,” Pogorzelski said. “But we’re going to dive into it and take a look at all of the possibilities. We’ll come back with some suggestions and see if there is any way to make changes.”

Contact reporter Joe Olenick at 439-9222, ext. 6241.