Owner/Operator Bus System

Is Worth The Cost

To the Editor:

I see the Board of Education and district administration has put the school bus transportation contract out to bid. That is their obligation to the taxpayers.

What is not their obligation, however, is to choose an out-of-town bus company that inevitably will lowball our owner/operators in its quest to win a lucrative five-year contract to take our children back and forth to school.

The handwriting certainly is on the wall here. The superintendent and several school board members are on the record as saying the owner/operators cost the town too much money.

They’ll use all sorts of arguments like, “If we spent less money on buses, we could hire more teachers or buy more computers for your children. Or implement full-day kindergarten.”

Well, I’m not buying it.

Frankly, I’ve had enough of this administration and school board using these hardworking, dedicated, taxpaying citizens of our community as pawns in their annual budget making game.

Does this bus system cost more? Probably. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

I haven’t spoken to a soul in town who favors bringing an out-of-town bus company in to replace the owner/operators. We do not want this system changed. We do not want to put our neighbors and their families out of work.

Instead of telling us how expensive the owner/operator system is, why not work cordially with the drivers now to reduce costs so this arrangement can continue after next year? The drivers time and again have demonstrated their willingness to come to the table to negotiate. Have you, school administrators and board members?

That’s what we want for our children. Please teach them a good lesson in compromise.

Respectfully,

Chris Gardner

4 Mt Pleasant Terrace, Newtown                                    May 29, 2011