Q&A
Transportation issues and bus contract extensions
3:24:09
ยท
3 min
Council Member Rita Joseph inquires about bus contract extensions and transportation issues for students with disabilities. DOE officials discuss ongoing challenges and potential solutions.
- DOE officials unable to comment on specific contract negotiations
- Discussion of employee protection provisions (EPPs) and their impact on bus contracts
- Request for legislative support to allow rebidding with EPPs
- Data provided on the number of students awaiting transportation services
- Concerns raised about customer service issues in the Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT)
- Emphasis on the need for improved communication with families about transportation
Rita Joseph
3:24:09
And something I've said over and over, we have to include families in this educational journey.
3:24:14
We can't do this work by ourselves.
3:24:16
And if we include them, the students will have better outcomes and better support, a better sis support system in place.
3:24:23
Transportation.
3:24:26
We, how can we ensure that city approves bus contract extension extensions no longer than 1 year so that city can rebid the bus contract as soon as possible?
3:24:38
And what can we do as a council to support?
John Hammer
3:24:40
So the negotiations there are underway, so I can't I can't comment too much on the specifics of the of that.
3:24:44
But in terms of of your interest and how you can support us, you know, as we've testified in September, the employee, protection provisions, those EPPs, are currently deemed to be, illegal in any new bus contracts.
3:25:00
We know that without we know that rebidding without those EPPs will result in a bus strike and a major service disruption for our students as was the case in the 2013 rebidding.
3:25:13
What we we could really use your support is is in legislative change that will allow us to rebid these contracts with EPPs.
3:25:20
And with new terms, it will allow us to add capacity, add flexibility, and accountability.
Rita Joseph
3:25:25
You need me to work with my colleagues on the state level because that's not a city.
Rima Izquierdo
3:25:29
I'm sorry.
Rita Joseph
3:25:30
It's not a city issue.
3:25:31
It's a state issue.
3:25:32
Chair.
3:25:32
How much does New York City public schools spend on transportation for due claim due process claims?
John Hammer
3:25:40
I we can probably get you that number shortly.
3:25:44
Just I I'll need a few more
Rita Joseph
3:25:45
How many students are still waiting for bus services, that's mandated on IUPs, who have transportation powers mandated on their IUPs, and transportation nurses mandated on their IUPs?
John Hammer
3:25:58
Yep.
3:25:58
So OPT is providing transportation to around a 149,000 students.
3:26:04
78,000 of those students, utilize specialized transportation across all of our settings.
3:26:10
So students that are awaiting awaiting routing, it's a 141 students.
3:26:15
3 students are awaiting a paraprofessional.
3:26:17
These are newly added students and or students who who moved or changed schools.
3:26:23
Students who have been provisioned rideshare due to a driver absence or no vendor assigned due to a driver shortage, that number is 1,287 students.
3:26:34
28 students are on rideshare as they await a paraprofessional service and one student is on ride share awaiting a nurse service.
Rita Joseph
3:26:43
You know, the biggest complaint I get from parents is the lack of customer service at that at the busing division.
3:26:48
Nobody to answer the phone, nobody to answer questions.
3:26:51
If the child is not being picked up, it's the route being changed.
3:26:54
No one is communicating.
3:26:56
This is a relationship.
3:26:57
We have to talk to each other so we can parents can know what's happening in real time.
3:27:02
Families have to go to work, so we have to do this in real time, so that's one of the things I'm asking on the record, that the improvement in customer service over at OPT improve drastically.
3:27:13
And I hear this across the board.
3:27:16
Even when a school is not go is supposed to go on a trip, and these are regular gen ed students, even if the bus is not arriving for the trip, no one knows where the bus is, no one can answer, no one can give any anything.
John Hammer
3:27:27
We hear you, and and we see it as our role as dial to support our partners in OPT by really pushing these programs close to home.
3:27:36
And so, while we know that there's work to do on the on the on the on the routing front and on those contracts, we also need to to be be able to provide high quality services, in local public schools.
Althea Stevens
3:27:50
So,