A budget crunch in Niles Township High School District 219 is having a ripple effect through the area’s five elementary school districts, which are facing large increases in transportation costs.
All six districts have been buying bus service together, which kept the cost low for the elementary schools. Niles 219, however, has decided to go it alone next year to save money.
As a result, the elementary districts are finding their bargaining power severely undercut. While those five systems are transporting a combined 4,302 students this year, District 219 alone is transporting 4,232–meaning the high school’s business is the most lucrative part of the contract.
Skokie District 69 is handling the negotiations with bus companies, though talks also affect Parkview District 70, Niles District 71, East Prairie District 73 and Skokie District 73 1/2. Talks are scheduled to resume next week.
When transportation bids for next school year were opened in March, the districts were dismayed by the increase. The problem could cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
“The Alltown Bus Service quote required twice the amount of money we had in the transportation budget,” said District 69 Supt. Dr. Allan Maier. “It was absolutely so high that none of the districts could have afforded it.”
The current provider, Maierhoffer Inc. of Skokie, owned by Robinson Bus Service, was the only other bidder. Its bid was about 35 percent higher than the current year, Maier said.
As an example of the fee hike, District 69 business manager Jim Gustafson said the cost of one route is $22.98 per run. Maierhoffer’s bid would boost that to $39.50 in the 1998-99 school year, and Alltown’s bid was $99. The district currently spends about $364,000 a year on transportation.
Coupled with the projected cost increase is the districts’ dissatisfaction with Maierhoffer’s current performance.
“We have terrible service,” District 73 Supt. Marlene Kamm flatly stated. “Our buses are late every day.”
Maier also pointed out that low unemployment, high training costs and the lack of a full workweek contribute to the company’s difficulties in recruiting and retaining qualified employees.
Representatives of Maierhoffer and Robinson Bus Service could not be reached for comment.
Without District 219 involved in the process, the other districts have two choices–either try to negotiate the cost down with Maierhoffer or invoke the fourth-year extension clause on the current contract. Faced with continuing with Maierhoffer under the fourth-year extension or opening up for new bids, the elementary districts decided to test the waters and see if they could find a bargain elsewhere.
