Unionville board of ed. votes to keep bus operation

Bids rejected at special Tuesday morning meeting, district looks to save $87K annually By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com The Unionville-Chadds Ford School District will continue to operate it's own bus fleet after a formal vote, Tuesday morning. EAST MARLBOROUGH — It was quick, to the point and ended with a loud round of applause. Tuesday morning’s special Board of Education meeting...

Letter: Price argues full cost of keeping busing in-house not looked at fairly

To the Editor, The UCFSD debate about potential outsourcing at last Monday’s Board Meeting may need some clarification. The low bid we received (from First Student) was shown as offering 5-year savings of $718,203 over keeping things in-house as we are structured right now. First Student is also prepared to purchase our bus fleet for the sum of $1,717,553. The net 5-year difference was $2,435,756. ...

Unionville board appears likely to reject bus outsourcing

Four of five bids higher than current costs, administrators say more savings can come from keeping bus program in-house. By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com It looks like district-operated school buses will continue to run from the Doe Run Road depot for the foreseeable future. EAST MARLBOROUGH — When it comes to outsourcing the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District’s bus operation, it...

Unionville to get bids on outsourcing busing

Board of Education members say no decision has been made, bids needed to get detailed financial information By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com POCOPSON — Stressing that the final decision had not been made, most members of the Unionville-Chadds Ford Board of Education expressed support for putting the district’s school bus services out to bid for outsourcing in the next couple of weeks,...

Column: rush to judgment on bus outsourcing not just unwarranted, but foolish

By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com My wife is pretty peeved at me right now. Like a lot of other parents in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District, she is less than amused at the idea that the district is thinking about outsourcing district school bus services. She’s also not thrilled that I’m not leading the charge against it one these pages. I’m in the domestic crosshairs because...

Letter: Substantial savings by outsourcing Unionville busing

To The Editor: TAS (Transportation Advisory Services) determined that there are substantial savings possible if we choose to outsource transportation. This is because we now pay well above market total compensation in using District employees to provide non-teaching services. Because all our employees are subject to PSERS we are forced to pay for extremely expensive pensions that private sector businesses...

Food service study may be put on ice

Efficiency study likely to be rejected by board, Feb. 22 By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com A proposed study that could lead to privatizing school lunches appears likely to rejected by the Board of Education on Feb. 22 EAST MARLBOROUGH — It looks like the efforts to privatize the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District food service may be as frozen as a decade-old Salisbury steak. While...

UCF Food service outsourcing brought into question

Board of Ed. members ask why it makes to sense to tamper with self-sufficient operation By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com EAST MARLBOROUGH — The march to privatizing school district food services — and potentially other services — may hit a bump in the road if the Unionville-Chadds Ford Board of Education decides later this month not to hire a consultant to look at outsourcing. During...

Price questions outsourcing proposal requests

Board member argues administration either biased or incompetent;  colleagues call on him to apologize Controversy surrounds a request for proposal that could put outside workers in Unionville school lunchrooms, such as Unionville High School By Mike McGann, Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com EAST MARLBOROUGH — A school board member alleged Monday night that members of the administration are sabotaging...