Jan 8, 2014 Dear Trustees:

RE: Report on Bussing to John Barsby & Ladysmith Secondary

First Happy New Year! Secon ! T"is e#ai$ #ay not arri%e to you in ti#e &or you to &u$$y i'est it (e&ore toni'"t)s (oar #eetin', at w"ic" ti#e *ete Sa(o wi$$ present t"e contents o& t"e SD+8 (ussin' report ,attac"e -. /n&ortunate$y, t"e report was not pu($ic$y a%ai$a($e unti$ 2 ays a'o. T"e report cost esti#ates are #is$ea in' an report itse$& is con&usin' (ecause it oesn)t contain i#portant in&or#ation a(out t"e #et"o o$o'y an t"e assu#ptions use to #a0e t"e esti#ates. 1t wou$ (e a tra%esty i& any ecisions are #a e (ase upon t"e nu#(ers containe in t"is report. 2&ter spea0in' wit" (ot" Da%e *re%ost an *ete Sa(o, 1 un erstan t"at t"e nu#(ers in t"is (ussin' report are inten e to pro%i e you wit" 3as accurate as possi($e4 in&or#ation to ai in t"e ecision w"et"er or not to pro%i e (ussin' to 5a ys#it" ,in a ition to Jo"n 6ars(y, &or stu ents isp$ace in t"e June 2+t" 6oar ecision to con%ert 7e ar Secon ary Sc"oo$ into a #e'a e$e#entary sc"oo$-. For t"e recor , 1 #ust state t"at it is #y opinion t"at suc" a (usin' ecision is #oot, as it s"ou$ (e non! optiona$ ,it)s part an parce$ wit" t"e ecision to c$ose 7e ar an o&&erin' a 3c"oice4 in sc"oo$s-. T"e ecision to c$ose 7e ar Secon ary put e%ery stu ent (eyon wa$0in' istance o& any secon ary sc"oo$ an now (ussin' #ust (e pro%i e &or e%ery &or#er Spartan. 1t)s as si#p$e as t"at. T"at near$y "a$& ,1889:;0- c"ose 5a ys#it" Secon ary e%en w"en it ca#e wit" a ,coerci%e- notice t"at no (us ser%ice wou$ (e pro%i e is e%i ence t"at 5a ys#it" s"ou$ (e t"e 7e ar catc"#ent sc"oo$ an not Jo"n 6ars(y. ,T"ere is no ou(t in #y #in t"at "a (ussin' not (een wit""e$ , a c$ear #a<ority wou$ "a%e c"osen 5a ys#it"-. =e'ar $ess, 1 a# writin' now (ecause, e%en a&ter spea0in' wit" (ot" Da%e an *ete, 1 re#ain con&use (y (ot" t"e #et"o o$o'y use to create t"e (us report an t"e eri%e cost esti#ates. T"e report presents two (ussin' cost esti#ates: ,a- 2$$ 77SS catc"#ent stu ents to 6ar(sy an ,(18891;8 sp$it (etween 6ars(y an 5a ys#it". T"e report conc$u es t"at t"e 6ars(y option wi$$ cost >4??,888 in t"e &irst year an t"e sp$it option wi$$ cost >8+8,+80 @ nearly twice as much! Auc". 7onsi erin' t"at in eit"er case, t"e eBact sa#e nu#(ers o& stu ents are (ein' transporte , 1 &in t"e increase un&at"o#a($e. Furt"er, 1 (e$ie%e t"e report is #a0in' so#e incorrect assu#ptions an t"at it a$so &ai$s to a eCuate$y eBp$ain "ow t"e esti#ates were co#pute ,i.e., w"at assu#ptions an reasonin' went into t"e ca$cu$ations-. 5et)s co#e at t"is $o'ica$$y an t"ey are con&usin': o a (ac0!o&!t"e en%e$ope ca$cu$ation an you)$$ soon un erstan w"y

Back of the Envelope Busing Costs to Barsby

5et)s start o&& wit" option ,a-, w"ere a$$ :84 stu ents wou$ (e (use to Jo"n 6ars(y. Fro# t"e report, we 0now t"at a new (us costs >140,000 an wi$$ transport ,at #aBi#u#- ?+ secon ary stu ents. De wi$$ a$so assu#e 3#aBi#u# e&&iciency4 ,i.e., e%ery (us carrie a &u$$ co#p$i#ent o& ?+ 0i s, w"ic" #ay or #ay not (e t"e case, epen in' on actua$ routes-. Di%i in' ?+ into :84 s"ows us t"at it wi$$ ta0e a #ini#u# o& +.8? (usses ,roun up to 8, since it)s i#possi($e to ri%e 0.8?)s o& a (us aroun town- to transport a$$ stu ents to Jo"n 6ars(y ,or 5a ys#it", i& 5a ys#it" were t"e esi'nate catc"#ent sc"oo$ @ t"e &ina$ estination is irre$e%ant &or t"is ca$cu$ation-. 2t a recent 6oar #eetin', one o& #y Cuestions was, 3D"at)s t"e a%era'e cost to operate a (us in SD+84. *"i$ Turin ,t"an0 you *"i$- answere t"is Cuestion in an e#ai$ ,attac"e - an a %ise t"at on a%era'e ! it cost rou'"$y >4?,000 to operate a (us. 1& we use t"is nu#(er, we can Cuic0$y eter#ine it wi$$ cost approBi#ate$y 8 B >4?,000 or >:1?,000 to operate t"ose 8 (uses t"at are reCuire to "au$ :84 stu ents to t"eir catc"#ent sc"oo$ ,w"ic" s"ou$ (e 5a ys#it" @ <ust t"ou'"t 1) t"row t"at in t"ere, in case you #isse it (e&ore-. 2pparent$y, t"e District oesn)t "a%e 8 (uses it can use ,&or t"is e ucationa$ en"ance#ent p$an t"at c$oses 7e ar Secon ary an (usses its 0i s into anot"er co##unity-, so 2 (usses "a%e to (e purc"ase . Eac" (us costs >140,000 so 2 B >140,000 F >280,000. 2 in' t"e costs o& 2 new (usses an t"e operationa$ costs o& 8, we 'et an esti#ate &or w"at it s"ou$ cost to sen a$$ 0i s &ro# 7e ar to 5a ys#it" ,or 6ars(y, i& you continue to i'nore your constituents-. >280,000 G >:1?,000 F >?;?,000 T"is nu#(er is 'reater t"an t"e nu#(er pro%i e in t"e SD+8 (us report. D"yH De$$, t"at)s w"y 1)# con&use . 1& you $oo0 at 2ppen iB 7 ,t"e top "a$&-, it says not"in' a(out t"e number of busses inc$u e in t"is cost esti#ate. 6asic #at" ictates a #ini#u# o& 8 (usses are reCuire , t"ou'" route ine&&iciencies #ay increase t"at to 8 or e%en ; ,a$$ w"ic" on$y ser%e to raise t"is 3#aBi#u# e&&iciency4 cost esti#ate-. T"e iscrepancy "ere is si'ni&icant$y $ar'e. Iore so t"an you s"ou$ (e co#&orta($e wit" an it)s i#portant to note t"at t"e SD+8 report nu#(er is lower ,(y approBi#ate$y >140,000-.

Bussing to Barsby nly

7apita$ cost o& 2 new (uses ! >280,000 Aperationa$ cost o& 8 (uses ! >:1?,000 7ost Esti#ate ,Yr 1- ! !"#"$%%%

Back of the Envelope Busing Costs to both Ladysmith and Barsby

De)$$ start o&& wit" t"e sa#e in&or#ation we starte o&& t"e $ast ca$cu$ation. 1;8 stu ents are ai#e at 6ars(y, 188 "ea in' to 5a ys#it", a new (us is >1400, t"ey "au$ ?+ stu ents an t"e a%era'e operationa$ cost &or eac" (us is *"i$ Turin)s nu#(er o& >4?0. Di%i in' ?+ into 1;8 re%ea$s t"at we)$$ nee 4 (uses 'oin' to 6ars(y an anot"er 4 &or 5a ys#it". T"e District on$y "as ?, so we)$$ nee to purc"ase t"ree, at a cost o& : B >140,000 F >420,000. Aperationa$ costs &or t"ese 8 (usses wi$$ (e 8 B >4?,000 F >:+0,000 2 si#i$ar (ac0!o&!t"e!en%e$ope sp$it (ussin' scenario costs >420,000 G >:+0,000 F >880,000. 1t is interestin' to note ,a'ain- t"at our (ac0!o&!t"e!en%e$ope ca$cu$ation %aries &ro# t"e SD+8 report an t"at t"eir nu#(er was "i'"er (y rou'"$y >;0,000 an t"at t"e SD+8 report inc$u es t"e purc"ase o& 4 new (usses, instea o& t"ree.

Bussing to Both
7apita$ cost o& : new (uses ! >420,000 Aperationa$ cost o& 8 (uses ! >:+0,000 7ost Esti#ate ,Yr 1- ! !&'%$%%%

Conclusions
T"e SD+8 report is con&usin'. 2ssu#ptions an iscussion are not inc$u e , so it is i#possi($e to un erstan "ow t"ese %a$ues were 'enerate , w"at t"ey #ean or 'au'e t"eir %a$i ity. 1t)s i#portant to 0now t"e 3tota$ nu#(er o& (usses,4 (ut t"at nu#(er is #issin' entire$y &ro# t"e SD+8 report. 7o#pare to t"e *"i$!Turin!pro%i e a%era'e operationa$ cost, operationa$ costs in t"e report are si'ni&icant$y $ower, w"ic" #a0es t"e 36ars(y!on$y4 esti#ate appear unrea$istica$$y &a%ora($e. D"i$e t"e report uses 3#aBi#u# (usin' e&&iciency4 &or t"e 6ars(y esti#ate, it oesn)t &or t"e sp$it!case, a in' anot"er new (us, w"ic" ri%es up t"e esti#ate an #a0es any co#parison 3app$es!to!oran'es4. 6y esi'n or "appenstance, t"e report s0ews t"e nu#(ers, su''estin' a "u'e cost isparity (etween t"e two c"oices. 2ccor in' to t"is report t"e sp$it!(ussin' option wi$$ (e near$y ou($e ,>412,802 #ore t"an >4??,888, a ;1J increase-, w"ic" is not supporte (y any $o'ica$, (ac0!o&!t"e!en%e$ope ca$cu$ation. 1n rea$ity, an usin' a #ore e'a$itarian, app$es!to!app$es co#parison, we see t"at t"e esti#ate increase to t"e District wou$ (e an a itiona$ (us an its associate operationa$ costs ,approBi#ate$y >180,000 o%er >?;?,000, a :0J increase-.

Fina$ Note
Dasn)t t"e operationa$ cost o& 7e ar 7o##unity Secon ary Sc"oo$ <ust a ta o%er >+00,000 per yearH Dow, it $oo0s $i0e any sa%in's &ro# s"uttin' own t"e sc"oo$s wi$$ (e eaten up (y (ussin' a$one. ,T"e ori'ina$ p$an sai it wou$ on$y (e >2?+,000 &or (ussin' @ o" "ow &ast t"ose nu#(ers (eco#e $ar'er, e"HT"an0s &or ta0in' t"e ti#e to rea , co#pre"en an uti$iKe t"e in&or#ation "erein. 7"eers, !Scott Li#$er