Line 8 - Local Expenses Training expenses for employees reported on lines 1-5 Tuition, mileage, meals, workshops Line 9 – Telephone/Postage Don’t forget cell phones Advertising related to pupil transportation (job postings) Line 10 – Other Utilities Electricity, Heat, Water Trash & recycling Utility costs must be direct billed to the transportation department and not a proration of the school district’s total utility bill Purchased Services – Non Vehicle Allowable Expenses 1

Line 11 – Purchased Services – Staff The number and costs of staff contracted from a third party entity who if employed by local district would have been reported on lines 2 – 5 including: Bus Drivers Aides Secretaries, clerical Other support staff (A Third Party Entity is not another Michigan School District or Intermediate School District) Purchased Services Allowable Expenses 2

Line 12 – Other Non-Vehicle Purchased Services Copier leases, printer, fax repairs Technology support Routing or software Advertising for employee recruitment Maps – generation and printing Garage or parking lot repairs Performed by other departments Outside contractors Equipment repair Fuel pumps, time clocks, bus wash Allowable Expenses Purchased Services – Non Vehicle 3

Allowable Expenses Line 12 continued Repairs for private residences – mailboxes Snow plowing - in house or contracted Laundry – mechanics uniforms, towels Pest control Contracted aides, secretarial or dispatcher Rental of in-service materials Driver Physicals –Do not include improvements made to bus garages and bus parking lots 4

Contracting or leasing where does it go? Line 11: Any person performing transportation duties not employed by the school district –including drivers, mechanics, bus aides Line 15: Both black and yellow buses and staff not employed or owned by the district Line 19: Black and yellow buses not owned by the school district –when staff is employed by district, or –if staff and buses are provided by separate companies Allowable Expenses 5

Line 14 – Pupil Transportation Common Carrier Amount paid to a third party entity offering services to the general public Includes public transit and companies Passes for public transportation Must include the number of vehicles the company uses to provide the service These vehicles are not listed on the SE-4107 Only exclusive special ed common carrier costs may be charged to Section 52 or 53a Field trip costs must be reported as regular education Column 2 Does not include companies such as Dean, First Student or Durham Non Black and Yellow Allowable Expenses 6

Line 15 – Pupil Transportation Common Carrier Amount paid to a third party entity to provide pupil transportation to and from school Includes Servicar, First Student, Dean, Durham Include the number of vehicles the company uses to provide the service These vehicles MUST BE listed on the SE-4107 Only exclusive special ed costs may be charged to Section 52 or 53a Field trip costs must be reported under regular education Column 2 If contracting bus drivers only – report on Line 11 Black and Yellow Allowable Expenses 7

Line 16 – Family Vehicle Private vehicle Parents Pupils transporting themselves Only exclusive special ed costs may be charged to Section 52 or 53a Do not include transportation for a school related event Purchased Services – Vehicle Related Allowable Expenses 8

Purchased Services – Vehicle Related Line 17 – Pupil Transportation Taxi Cab Amount paid to taxi cab companies for transporting pupils to and from school Must include the number of vehicles the company uses to provide the service Taxis are not listed on the SE-4107 Only taxi cab costs exclusively for special education riders may be charged to Section 52 and Section 53a 9

Line 18 – Fleet Insurance Vehicles used to transport students to school and school related events Report by vehicle Prorate premiums for vehicles not used exclusively for student transportation Not eligible to be prorated to Section 53a Combination vehicles are reported in Column 2 Spare buses – 1 for every 10 Must match current year’s SE-4107 Purchased Services – Vehicle Related Allowable Expenses 10

Allowable Expenses Line 19 Amount paid to lease or contract buses to provide pupil transportation to and from an instructional site Driven by school district staff Black and yellow only Not eligible to be prorated to Section 53a Include the number of vehicles Maintenance, repair, fuel, etc. are not included Vehicles must be reported on the SE Contracted or Leased Buses 11

Allowable Expenses Purchased Services – Vehicle Related Line 20 – Other Vehicle Related Costs Costs for maintenance and repairs for buses listed on line 16 Not eligible to be prorated to Section 53a Contracted vehicle repairs Two-way radios Contracted or district owned buses GPS monthly fees Fire extinguisher inspections Towing 12

Allowable Expenses Supplies Line 22 – Gasoline/Fuel Tax is not included Line 23 – Oil & Grease Line 24 – Tires and Batteries Only vehicles used for pupil transportation Prorated based on % of buses If direct cost – documentation to MDE 13

Allowable Expenses Supplies Line 25 – Other Supplies, Repair Parts Small tools Anti-freeze, brake wash, deicer Cleaning materials used for buses Bus repair parts Emergency equipment, fuses, clean up kits, fire extinguishers Repair parts for garage equipment Line 26 Office Supplies Supplies used to support the operation of the pupil transportation office 14

Other Expenses Line 28 Other Expense/Adjustment Driver certification fees Licensing costs Road tests Driver awards Toll and ferry fees Subscriptions Driver jackets Will also be used by MDE to make any necessary adjustments Allowable Expenses 15

Bus Amortization Authorized annual amount as calculated on the SE-4107 Reported on line 29 Not eligible to be prorated to Section 53a The amount must agree with final SE-4107 Do not report spare bus amortization Allowable Expenses 16

Bus Amortization Amortization for vehicles may not be reported on the Transportation Expenditure Report until calculated on the final SE-4107 School Bus Inventory Report New vehicles added to the SE-4107 in will not have amortization calculated until the school year Allowable Expenses 17

Bus Amortization Amounts found on your district’s Final SE-4107 Allowable Expenses 18

Bus Amortization Allowable Expenses Only numbers allowed to be reported on Line 29 19

Bus Amortization Reported on Line 29 Column 2 Reported in Column 3 Allowable Expenses 20

Combination Buses Allowable Expenses Must be reported in column 2 21

Spare Buses Allowable Expenses Are not reported on Line 29 22

Line 31 - Total Annual Miles Total miles traveled by fleet vehicles used in providing pupil transportation to instructional sites Line 32 – Total Riders Per Count Week Taken from Special Ed and Regular Ed Count Week Logs Line 33 – Total Fuel Consumed Total number of gallons of fuel used by pupil transportation fleet vehicles for providing pupil transportation District Totals Allowable Expenses 23

Common Mistakes to Avoid Failure to communicate and coordinate with the Transportation Department in completing the reports Failure to communicate and coordinate with the Special Education Director on all transportation issues Allowable Expenses 24

Be Prepared Throughout the Year: Track you fuel and grease costs & usage Maintain driver hours lists Vehicle purchases and trade ins/sales Track facility and parking lot repairs Allowable Expenses 25

Fuel Purchases PO Invoice GallonsPrice/galCostFreightInvoiceActualBalance DateNumber and TaxesAmountPaymenton PO 7/31/2007 $150, /14/ ,402$2.4392$32,690.16$130.67$32, $117, /19/ ,400$2.4842$33,288.28$130.65$33, $83, /25/ ,401$2.5262$33,856.13$130.67$33, $49, /4/ ,401$2.5386$34,019.78$13.07$34, $15, /16/ ,502$2.4634$25,870.63$102.39$15, $0.00 PO Invoice Gallon sPrice/galCostFreightInvoiceActualBalance DateNumber and TaxesAmountPaymenton PO 9/25/2007 $150, /16/ ,502$2.4634$25,870.63$102.39$10, $139, /16/ ,999$2.5088$30,103.09$116.99$30, $109, /18/ ,005$2.5360$30,444.68$117.05$30, $78, /30/ ,000$2.6986$32,383.20$117.00$32, $46, /1/ ,004$2.8100$33,731.24$117.04$33, $12, /8/ ,005$3.0425$36,525.21$117.05$12, $

Putting it All Together How can reported costs help me evaluate my operation? Ultimate Goal - Optimal Operational Performance Keep in Mind: Quality results are only as accurate and complete as the quality of the source data 27

Analyzing Your Data SE-4094 Template & Data Summary available upon request 28

On Time, Ready to Learn at What Cost? Financial Constraints and Legislative changes may prevent us from doing what we want for student safety Target fixation may get us through the day to day - but may cause us to miss strategic thinking Are you taking the time to analyze your costs? Analyzing Your Data 29

The True Cost of Transportation Your SE-4094 may not accurately provide a true look of your district’s actual transportation costs Are you reporting true: Mileage? Student Counts? Are all costs in your transportation budget? Human resources Technology Maintenance Is work on non-transportation equipment included in transportation budget? Analyzing Your Data 30

Different approaches to providing pupil transportation are found in many school districts. Quantitative metrics will not provide the accurate measure of performance - without a thorough understanding of how the various approaches to service delivery will affect the comparison Service Delivery Affects Costs Analyzing Your Data 31

Compare your data to district fleets of similar size and student counts Use the measures to ask questions about how you do business and why some measures may be higher or lower than comparative districts Identify how changing your practices can have an impact on your results Use historical trend information to establish goals and objectives for changes Analyze Your Performance Analyzing Your Data 32

Identify what elements will need to be changed Identify a reasonable time frame for the change Establish timelines for completing goals and objectives Assign responsibility and accountability to specific personnel Measure, recalculate and reevaluate the changes impact on your operation Were they positive? Were they as expected? Changes Analyzing Your Data 33

Performance Indicators Transportation costs are affected by district operational requirements and constraints Some of those costs can be quantified, but others are subjective – such as extra accommodations for special education students beyond those required for transportation Use of the following performance indicators will provide another way to analyze your operations Analyzing Your Data 34

Cost Per Student Total Annual Cost ÷ Students Transported Single most important measure of operational efficiency Objective is to move the maximum number of students with as few resources as possible Analyzing Your Data 35

Cost Per Student Regular Ed Cost Comparisons: –State Average - $684* – – State Average - $749 Special Ed Cost Comparisons: –State Average - $5,982* – – State Average - $6,607 *source MSBO Student Transportation Benchmarking Survey July 2013 ( ) Analyzing Your Data 36

Cost Per Bus Total Annual Cost ÷ # of Insured Buses Used as a means of comparison for commercial transportation service providers* Most RFP’s and contracts based on cost of bus per day* State Average - $52,829* Estimated $49,920 *source MSBO Student Transportation Benchmarking Survey July 2013 ( ) Analyzing Your Data 37

Bus Maintenance Costs Analyze the cost benefit for your district When does replacement make the most sense? Allowable Expenses 38

Replace or Maintain? Cannot predict future needed repair costs The older the bus the greater the parts and maintenance costs Lease or purchase will allow for: Predictable line item fixed cost Planned replacement rotation “Soft” costs Student and staff safety Reliability Allowable Expenses 39

Maximize Efficiency Transportation efficiency is achieved by: Maximizing # times bus is used each day Buses Per 100 Students Maximizing use of available seats Bus Capacity Utilization Allowable Expenses 40

Buses Per 100 Students Transported Total Reg. Ed Buses ÷ (Reg. Ed Students ÷ 100) Efficiency is achieved when the greatest number of students are transported by the fewest buses Demonstrates routing efficiency: How well buses are being filled How multiple trips/tiers are assigned to buses Maximize Efficiency 41

Buses Per 100 Students Transported 1.0 – 1.25 buses or less indicates effective capacity utilization and asset reuse* State Average 1.72* By Region: Upper Peninsula = 1.8 Northern Lower Peninsula = 2.1 Western = 1.7 Thumb and surrounding area = 1.6 South Central = 1.5 Southeast = 1.6 *source MSBO Student Transportation Benchmarking Survey November 2013 Maximize Efficiency 42

Bus Capacity Utilization Assigned Riders ÷ Planned Bus Capacity Reflects “fill it” principle District procedures for have major impact Time and distance effect Performance guideline is % Maximize Efficiency 43

Simple Bus Capacity Utilization Total Riders ÷ Total # of Available Bus Seats Indicates the ability to fully utilize available seats A value >100% represents some degree of multiple tiering Maximize Efficiency 65 passenger x 29 buses = 1885 seats 2431 students ÷ 1885 = 129 % utilization 44

Planned Capacity Utilization Total Buses x Planned Seating Alternative indication of the ability to fully utilize available seats More relevant than simple capacity utilization because this value includes the seats "lost" due to policy decisions that limit seating capacity Maximize Efficiency 45

Total # of Bus Runs ÷ Total # of Buses Bell Times Factor: If all schools start at the same time The maximum number runs per bus = 2 If school (high, middle, elem.) times are staggered The maximum number of runs per bus = 6 “Reusing a bus through the day is a critical element of overall efficiency and cost effectiveness” * *source MSBO Student Transportation Benchmarking Survey July 2007 Runs Per Bus Maximize Efficiency 46

Factors That Affect Efficiency School Bell Times Adequate time between school times Length of Bus Runs Long runs prohibit tiering Geography/Distance District Policies Walk to stop distance Students per seat Student ride time Maximize Efficiency 47

Your Practices and Efficiency Use of Routing Software Use increases seating capacity Use your resources wisely Mechanics $35 - $45 hr w/benefits Are they on parts runs? Fixing mailboxes? Manage their time – will not get time back when not wrenching Rethink how you do maintenance Can a lower wage person do: Oil changes? seat repairs? Maximize Efficiency 48

Practices to Consider Participate in county wide bids to increase buying power Parts, Tires, Fuel, Physicals and Drug Testing Eliminate costly outside contractor costs Use of fleet maintenance software Standardization of vehicle maintenance Data tracking, better fleet analysis Better utilization of mechanic hours Less vehicle down time Fewer unexpected breakdowns Fewer spare vehicles will be required Maximize Efficiency 49

Evaluate Regularly Audit your student ridership throughout the school year Count often – every 5 to 6 weeks Alternate your days to count Monday 1 st cycle, Tuesday next cycle, etc. Count morning and afternoon The calendar affects ridership Eligible riders vs. actual riders Maximize Efficiency 50

Yearly Comparisons Use historical information to establish program goals and objectives Analyzing Your Data 51

What’s Your History? 52

How Does Your Operation Compare? SE-4094 information will be available to see how your district compares Data set will be downloadable from Data & Reports, Finances section of CEPI Web site: The form view allows: Entry of your district code - will populate the form with district's data Viewing of data summarized at the ISD and state levels Database view provides data in a format to analyze in Excel to examine your district or compare with other districts 53

Timeline SE-4107 Due June 30 th each year SE-4094 Due October 7 th each year Pupil Transportation Count Week – aligns with the Fall Pupil Membership Count Operational Evaluations – throughout each school year 54

Questions? 55

Resources and Links Michigan Department of Education MSBO Student Transportation Benchmarking Survey – July

Additional Support CEPI Customer Support – Technical Questions Phone: Dianne Easterling, Office of Special Education Phone: Lori Richardson, Oakland Schools Phone:

Evaluations Help us to help you in the future: Please take the time to fill out a Workshop Evaluation Thank you! 58