The Falcon School District 49 Board of Education voted Wednesday to postpone a decision on transportation options for the 2011-2012 school year. The vote will now take place April 14 at a regularly scheduled board meeting.All eyes have been on the school board since their Jan. 13 vote to terminate busing as it stands now.School board president Dave Martin told parents at the Feb. 10 board meeting the transportation cuts were in anticipation of deep budget cuts coming from the state. “A transportation cut completely doesn’t make up all the money lost,” he said.Martin said the district could fund transportation up to $2 million. The current transportation budget, according to numbers released by the department, is almost $3.5 million.Transportation director Cindy Hardin was tasked by the board to come up with cost saving measures. She presented the ideas at the six community meetings held in February.Hardin said the Falcon transportation department already operates on a tight budget, with the lowest cost per mile of comparable districts within a 133-mile radius. She said the department has received several budget cuts in recent years and has also increased walking distances to the schools.Hardin presented a wide range of options – from generating revenue through fees for service and a transportation mill levy to cutting costs with an innovative routing system.Her favorite option is a combination of corridor and circuit busing. With this plan, Hardin said buses would pick students up on major roads rather than wind through neighborhoods. Buses would also run on a continuous loop, like RTD, she said.This option would place multiple age groups on the bus at the same time and increase walking distances to bus stops, she said. It would also open busing to choice and charter students. Combining the two options would save the district more than $600,000, Hardin said.Transportation options:(D 49 Transportation Department)Increase walking distance: Increase the walking zone to all schools by a half-mile. Cost savings: $552,000Pass a mill levy to maintain transportation at current levels: One mill levied per $100,000 market value of a home would generate $703,938.28Fee for service: Using Douglas County as an example – students would pay 50 cents a ride, with no charge for special education students and those qualified for the free and reduced lunch program. Revenue generated at $1/day: $406,092Corridor Busing: Buses pick up students along major roads, especially in rural areas. Cost savings: $418,054Circuit Busing: Buses travel on a continuous circuit, much like a rapid transit bus. A circuit bus system would open up transportation options to choice and charter students. Cost Savings: $257,264Timeline of important events tied to the Falcon District 49 innovation initiative.Jan. 13The Falcon School District 49 Board of Education votes unanimously in favor of a new district organizational chart, which establishes three zones of innovation – Sand Creek, Vista Ridge and Falcon.Jan. 20Mike Carara, Bob Felice and Sean Dorsey are named innovation leaders for the proposed zones of innovation that follow the high school feeder patterns.Late JanuaryD 49 terminates three top central office positions – chief financial officer, human resources director and chief information officer. Contract buyout is estimated at $760,000.Feb. 2D 49 announces that Superintendent Brad Schoeppey’s last day on the job will be June 30. The district will pay $225,000 plus benefits to terminate Schoeppey’s contract.Feb. 14Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper proposes sweeping cuts to the state budget. Falcon District 49 is expecting a $7 million cut.Feb. 23Becky Carter is named interim chief education officer for Falcon School District 49. Carter will work closely with outgoing superintendent, Brad Schoeppey, to provide leadership as the district transitions to the new innovation organizational structure.
