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Board hires consultants to study transportation efficiency amid mounting route costs
Summary
The Berkeley County Schools board approved an $89,850 contract with Edgewell Advisory Group to analyze route efficiency, policy constraints and opportunities to reduce transportation costs; the district said it is exceeding state reimbursement caps and hopes the study will identify savings.
The Berkeley County Schools board voted April 7 to hire Edgewell Advisory Group to run a comprehensive transportation-efficiency study that the district said is intended to identify potential route, staffing and policy changes to reduce costs.
District staff told board members that Berkeley County operates one of the state’s largest school-transportation fleets and that the district’s transportation expenses have been growing; staff said they currently exceed a state reimbursement cap by about $5 million year to year. The contract approved by the board is for $89,850 and includes data analysis, stakeholder engagement and scenario modeling.
Edgewell consultants Derek Graham and Cedric Jenko briefed the board on the planned study approach: they will review existing routes and routing software, analyze run efficiency, interview stakeholders (including families and school principals) and identify policy or operational constraints that limit cost-saving opportunities. Staff scheduled a family listening session for April 22 at Musselman High School to gather parental feedback as part of the study.
Superintendent Sachs told the board the district wants to be “the biggest success story” the consultants can highlight, pointing to the potential to reallocate savings into classrooms and staff compensation if the study finds durable efficiencies.
The board’s approval directs transportation staff and the consultant team to begin data-gathering and public engagement; a final report and recommendations are expected later this spring.
