Soaring transportation costs blamed for Connecticut school district’s budget shortfall

Mounting expenses have driven a Connecticut school district to a new school bus provider, although the transition still leaves a $1.9 million budget shortfall.

“Transportation costs are rising rapidly across the region,” Greenwich Public Schools (GPS) Superintendent Toni Jones said, according to Hearst’s Greenwich Times. “As GPS begins to build the (fiscal year 2027) budget, transportation will be another challenge.”

The district began negotiating a new contract after its previous provider First Student threatened to “walk out the door” unless it received “greatly increased financial terms” on its contract scheduled to end in 2027, Jones said.

The company had acquired Total Transportation Corp. in 2022, inheriting the district’s existing contract of $10.7 million.

“The district made every effort to negotiate with First Student for the next year and beyond, but the increased contract cost demanded by First Student was not agreed to,” Jones explained.

As a result, the district turned to the New Britain-based company DATTCO, which was “willing to negotiate more financially agreeable increases, and other factors,” according to Jones.

First Student closed its Stamford location and laid off 140 employees to accommodate the change.

“We are deeply appreciative of their dedication and hard work throughout the years,” said Brenna Rudisill, First Student’s proposal manager and communications specialist. “All employees will have the opportunity to transfer to another location, and they will be offered a stay-on bonus.” 

The district serves more than 8,500 students across 15 schools and 5 preschools, according to U.S. News & World Report. 

Busing costs increase nationwide 

States beyond Connecticut are also grappling with increased transportation expenses, sometimes prompting concerns from the community over proposed solutions to cut costs. 

As previously reported by The Lion, Ohio parents protested the Cincinnati Public Schools’ recent decision to put 1,260 middle-school students on the city’s metro service buses. 

“They feel it would be a lack of safety for their students because they’re on the bus with the entire general public,” said Kimberly Huckleby, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Ladies of Leadership. “You just never know who’s going to be on the bus, and there’s just no supervision.” 

Meanwhile in Massachusetts, one district has projected more than $15.8 million in transportation costs for the last school year – nearly double its $8 million figure in 2021. 

“I am horrified at the burgeoning cost of transportation,” said Thomas Khoury, committee member for Fall River Public Schools. 

Back in Connecticut, the district “will be utilizing any underspending from the current budget” to close the $1.9 million transportation deficit, Jones said. 

State law requires both public and private schools to provide transportation services, Jones said, noting the shortfall “would have been even greater with First Student.”