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School board discusses bus contractor insurance, facilities requests and property matters
Summary
Board members examined options to reduce bus-contractor insurance costs — including moving contractors to county insurance with a deductible — reviewed facility and easement requests, and discussed appraisals and potential purchase of the Dismukes property as a future school site.
Rutherford County School Board members devoted an extended portion of their work session to transportation and operational matters, focusing on contractor insurance costs, a string of facilities requests and two property matters under consideration.
Transportation staff reported receipt of a voluntary termination notice from a contractor (Mindy Patterson) for bus 251, which created a fourth open route to be reissued to bidders. The termination prompted a broader discussion among board members about the district’s model for contracting student-transportation routes and the large variances in contractors’ insurance and loss‑run costs.
One board member, who identified himself as the bus liaison, suggested exploring whether the district could offer county insurance to contractors if deductibles or other loss‑run limits could be negotiated. He estimated potential savings "over $1,000,000" for the district if the coverage model were adjusted and said the board should route the idea through Health & Ed and budget committees for analysis.
Board members debated whether contractors should carry a deductible or reinsurance, noted premiums reported in the session ranged from roughly $2,500 to $18,000 per contractor, and raised concerns about how young drivers obtain required three‑year loss‑run histories. Dr. Sullivan asked that the proposal be placed on the Thursday agenda so Health & Ed could review it before any RFP or budget decisions.
Separately, the board reviewed facilities and operational items included in the packet: a Poplar Hill Elementary request to install an interior digital display board with a cited cost of $30,000 (the packet said "at no cost to the board"), a Christiana Middle School plan to relocate an existing Riverdale High School scoreboard at a cost to the middle school of $6,350 for relocation and installation, and a Maples development request for a limited landscaping amendment to an existing easement adjacent to Whitworth McKenna Bridal School; engineering had no objections to the listed items.
Members also requested updates on two property matters. Staff said appraisals for the McFadden properties remain under consideration and that funding would be routed through the budget committee. One board member urged the board to expedite pursuit of the Dismukes property, recommending staff prepare tentative school‑zone maps to assess whether the site could be paired with Poplar Hill as part of a three‑school complex.
The board also heard a legal recommendation to admit a transfer student who had been expelled for possession of THC and to place the student in an alternative school program in accordance with policy 6.318; the director recommended admission. The session closed with direction to place relevant items on upcoming agendas; no final votes were recorded during the work session.
