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New Haven schools map out $40M transportation budget, weigh high‑school opt‑in and route consolidation
Summary
District transportation leaders told the board NHPS now transports about 17,476 students with annual transportation costs approaching $41 million; options discussed included a high‑school opt‑in, summer reductions, route consolidation and phased electrification requiring an estimated $8.2 million in charging infrastructure.
New Haven Public Schools staff gave a detailed briefing on the scale and drivers of the district’s transportation program and outlined potential cost‑reduction options that would require significant community engagement.
Dr. White and Transportation Director Squala Coleman said NHPS currently transports about 17,476 students, using a mix of type‑1 (full‑size) and type‑2 (minibus/van) vehicles under the district’s contract. The presenters said recent actual spending rose from roughly $33 million in earlier years to $39 million last year and that projected expenses for the current year total about $40.9 million.
Key figures given in the presentation included 242 type‑1 buses operating in the current fleet (contract calls for 260), 64 type‑2 buses in operation, 55 contracted bus monitors plus 24 NHPS staff monitors, and many specialized taxi/van runs for out‑placed and unhoused students. Staff noted that almost every student is eligible for transportation, citing the district’s choice and outplacement obligations.
Electrification costs, the presenters said, are a major barrier: they estimated $8.2 million to build depot charging infrastructure sufficient for the district’s routes and said electric buses currently cost three to four times as much as diesel buses. The district reported that a federal grant application submitted in November is currently on hold, slowing immediate electrification plans.
Staff outlined several potential savings approaches: a high‑school opt‑in (provide transportation only to high‑school students whose families opt in), eliminating or reducing summer transportation, consolidation of type‑2 routes and moving some routes to CTtransit passes. Staff estimated that some measures could save roughly $620,000 on tier‑one service and that consolidation of certain routes could approach $900,000; combined measures might yield up to about $2 million in annual savings depending on adoption.
Board members asked about timing and methodology for route analyses, the portion of costs for private‑school and charter transportation (requested as a separate breakdown), the potential to split the bus contract to increase competition, and the need for cost‑benefit analyses that include impacts on families’ travel time and work schedules. Presenters said many of the ideas would require both detailed route analysis and neighborhood engagement before implementation.
Next steps: staff will provide requested cost breakdowns (private school and charter transportation), continue route analysis and community outreach on options such as high‑school opt‑in and zone‑based approaches, and report back with more detailed fiscal scenarios.
