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SFUSD board debates transportation cuts, weighing student equity against $1 million savings target
Summary
The San Francisco Board of Education discussed options to reduce general‑education transportation costs by about $1 million for 2009–10, weighing three models that would cut low‑ridership routes, shift high‑school service, or change bell times. Commissioners asked staff to consult principals and community and return with more data.
The San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education spent the better part of its Jan. 13 meeting reviewing proposed reductions to school bus service that staff say are needed to help close budget shortfalls.
Deputy Superintendent Lee and Transportation Director Dennis Garten presented three models staff developed to meet a board directive to reduce transportation costs by at least $1 million by school year 2009–10. Staff said general‑education service currently carries about 4,200 students on 51 buses at a contract cost of roughly $5.4 million; special‑education transportation (separate) is about $15.25 million.
Model 1 would eliminate routes with the fewest riders across all grade spans, affecting the smallest number of riders but many schools. Model 2 would emphasize cutting high‑school routes (affecting more riders overall but older students judged better able to use public transit). Model 2a builds on Model 2 and adds changing start times at two to three elementary schools to compress runs and extend savings, potentially removing two to three more buses.
Deputy Superintendent Lee told commissioners staff used driver stop‑counts and route optimization to identify candidates for elimination and said three buses were already removed this school year through stop consolidation (about $300,000 saved). Garten said eliminating another seven buses would approach the board's $1 million target when combined with this year's reductions.
Parents and Parent Advisory Council representatives urged the board to prioritize student safety, equity and notice. Oscar Grande, a PAC member, said the PAC’s criteria emphasize equity and access and recommended clear community outreach, in‑language notifications and inclusion of the PAC in planning. A parent, Kim Roberts, told the board the bus is essential to her family because of disability and income constraints and asked that the board consider individual hardship cases.
Several commissioners signaled openness to Model 2 as a starting point but asked staff to return with more granular information: school‑by‑school ridership, intersections with student‑assignment changes, correlation with socioeconomics and truancy data, and whether municipal transit (Muni) passes or subsidized options could partially replace service. Commissioner Winns and others urged that decisions be coordinated with the student assignment process and that principals be consulted about individual families likely to be affected.
No final action was taken. Staff said they would contact school administrators, provide updates to PAC and return with more detailed analyses and community outreach ahead of any implementation decision.
The board will revisit the issue at the ad hoc student assignment meeting scheduled later in January.
