New bus schedule aims to save cash
BY PAM BRANNON Gulf Breeze News news@gulfbreezenews.com

The Santa Rosa County School District may soon change how kids get to school.

"A three tier bus schedule would be painful at first, especially for the high schools, but after the first year I am sure it would smooth out. And if we would save as much money as we expect to save, we may not have much choice but to go that way," said Steve Ratliff, assistant superintendent of administrative services for the district.

Santa Rosa County School Board is considering changing from their current bus schedules next school year to a three tier system. The district estimates it would save at least $1.3 million a year with the three tier scheduling. That would mean an overall change in school starting times throughout the county and could result in most buses having three routes each day instead of the current two. Ratliff said one bus might have an elementary school route, then a middle school route, then the same bus and driver do a high school route. "But not all drivers would have three routes," he said, "If a driver's route ends too far out to get back to a third school, they might only have two routes. Then there are those drivers with specialized routes, and they would probably stay with their current route schedule." It would mean less buses, and more hours for most bus drivers.

Ratliff said the high schools would have the latest starting times on a three tier bus schedule. "Research has shown that is best for the high school age student, as far as academics," he said. "But there is a concern about afternoon activities, like sports activities. There is less sunlight in the afternoon left for sports practices with a later start and release time, and if some other school like in Escambia County gets out earlier our teams would have to really hurry straight from the classroom to the field for afternoon games. But there are ways to work around those things."

Ratliff said he district transportation department will be presenting a plan for a three tier bus scheduling system to the school board this week for their consideration and discussion. "I have no idea what they will decide to do," he said.

Ratliff said with the current two tier scheduling, leaving school starting times at all county schools the same for next school year, the district would run 257 buses. On the three tier system they would need only 209 buses since those buses would be running more routes each.

Under the three tier system, elementary schools would begin earliest. That is a concern to some on the district's budget workshop committee, due to the youngest students being picked up by buses in the dark each morning.