COLD SPRING – Each spring school districts throughout the Hudson Valley request voter approval for new school buses allowing for a safe mode of transportation for children in grades K-12.
The Haldane School District in Cold Spring finds itself in a unique situation as buses are usually less than a third full.
The district hired a consultant to review student transportation and Paul Overbaugh who is employed by the On the Bus Transportation Service in upstate Malone discovered that Haldane’s 18 buses ranging in capacity from 65 passengers to five were never more than 38 percent full often with fewer students.
One elementary route averaged only 13 passengers on a 65-passenger bus. Overbaugh noted that the district should aim to fill 70 percent of the seats by consolidating routes or using smaller buses. He added that by eliminating a large-bus route, the district that educates children in the greater Philipstown area could save $47,000 a year on fuel and maintenance.
Superintendent Gail Duffy said Haldane hopes to increase ridership which she admitted was “lower than we’d like.”
The superintendent also reported the district plans to evaluate its routes and encouraged families to use buses during the current school year.
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