By Clay LePard
clepard@cbs4qc.com
UPDATE 9/24/12 5:45 A.M.: The Davenport School board could make a decision about the potential cuts as early as today.
The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at the Achievement Service Center on 1606 Brady Street in Davenport.
ORGINIAL STORY:
Potential budget cuts are coming to the Davenport School District; this time it's the buses. But before a decision is made, district leaders want your feedback.
At tonight's listening session for the community, the school board will present three possible reductions to next year's budget.
The school board plans to make $3 million in cuts for next year.
The first would be eliminating paid conditional busing, which school leaders say is inefficient.
"We have so many riders and so little payback on it," says Scott Martin, Director of Operations for Davenport Schools. "We get probably 10-15% payback on that from the amount of riders."
Martin went on to say that right now, paid conditional busing runs in violation of school board policy. Currently, paid conditional busing is also used to transport kids living in one school's boundaries who, by their own choice, attend a different school.
Next, walk zones would be extended half a mile from 1.5 to 2 miles for elementary students. The state suggested walk zone is two miles for elementary students.
"That's probably has the biggest payback for us, but it's also probably the most contentious and public sensitive," says Martin.
Extending the walk zones would get rid of 2-3 buses for eight different elementary schools.
Finally, babysitting routes would be eliminated, including those to the YMCA. With each bus costing $44,000/yr to operate, school leaders say they just don't have the money for the luxury.
"We would drop them off at their front door and we simply can't afford the time on our schedule or the budget amount that we have to pay to transport students," Martin adds.
To voice your opinion, the listening session is at 6:00 p.m. in the Central High Cafeteria.
