School Board Set to Hear Bus Outsourcing Report

The Valley View school board is set to hold a public meeting tonight to hear public opinion on a potential proposal that would outsource the district's transportation services.

The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the . At 7:30 p.m., the board will meet for its regularly scheduled board meeting, where it is expected to hear an informational report from Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services Gary Grizaffi on the matter.

 officials, strapped for cash because of a lack of state funding, announced in September that they would look into outsourcing bus services to save money.

Grizaffi said the school district could save more than $1 million if it were to seek a private company to run its transportation system.

No action will be taken at tonight's meeting. But Grizaffi said the board would likely consider the measure, if all goes to plan, at the board's Dec. 12 meeting.

The district has 192 bus drivers and more than 250 employees who would be affected by such a move.

If the district outsourced its transportation services, all of 255 could face layoffs. Per state law, though, those employees would have to be interviewed by the contracted company and nearly all would be brought back, Grizaffi said. 

Any bid made by a private company would be match able by the AFSCME Local 3057, the union that represents the transportation employees, Grizaffi said.

In any case, Grizaffi said it is the district's hope that parents and students feel no change whatsoever in bus services.