Board to review seat belts on buses
On the agenda
The Janesville School Board meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Educational Services Center, 527 S. Franklin St. Agenda items include:
-- Setting of the 2009-10 tax levy. With $150,000 more than expected in state aid, the board will decide on options that include a tax levy increase of 1.91 percent, 1.63 percent or 1.47 percent.
-- Consider approving an agreement with the school districts of Beloit, Beloit Turner, Clinton, Evansville, Parkview and Cooperative Educational Service Agency 2, to establish a Stateline Career & Technical Education Academy. The agreement includes Janesville loaning the part-time services of Steve Huth to administer a federal grant that will fund the academy in its first year.
-- A report by the legislative committee on the superintendent’s decision last month to require teachers to get parental permission slips to allow children to hear a speech by President Obama. The board is considering a policy on future instances.
-- Approval of a new “independent hearing officer to hear the expulsion cases.
JANESVILLE — Five of the big yellow school buses that carry Janesville students to school have seat belts this year for the first time, and five more buses could have belts next fall.
Superintendent Karen Schulte said she would recommend that the district continue to upgrade the Van Galder school-bus fleet with seat belts.
The school board will hear a report when it meets Tuesday on how the seat-belt buses have been received.
While seat belts are standard on some smaller buses, Janesville is believed to be the first district in the state to have buses with three-point belts on the standard, large school buses.
The district paid Van Galder Bus Co. for the added expense when the company replaced five buses this year. The added cost to outfit a large school bus with seat belts was estimated at $11,000 apiece.
Schulte said Friday she would recommend that five more buses be purchased for next year, depending on costs, which may have gone up.
Schulte said seat belts on buses would be part of the district’s 2010-11 budget development discussions, which begin soon.
The school board will make the final decision.
Belted buses are used as much as possible for sports and other extracurricular trips outside the city, as well as for rural routes, said Steve Eichman, manager of transportation, purchasing and custodial services.
Preference is given for trips that require Interstate speeds, such as sports trips to Madison, Eichman said.
But it’s not always possible to supply a seat-belted bus for every group that’s on the road on a particular day. That’s where more belted buses would help, Eichman said.
Eichman said he has not heard of problems with getting students to buckle up.
“Everybody is told and expected to wear them, and everybody has been,” Eichman said.
Oct 25, 2009 at 1:05 p.m.
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klvs has hit the nail on the head. Yet another way that government can funnel money to these private contractors. They always pretend, of course, that this is for our safety.
Oct 25, 2009 at 11:07 a.m.
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One more way that district is wasting tax payers money!!! You are much safer riding a bus withOUT seatbelts then you are in a car. Studies have proven it time after time.
With children sitting in carseats and booster seats in cars (and yes they should be) they never learn how to sit still and behave without one. Parents LACK of displine and not teaching them to RESPECT adults is where the problem lies!!!!!
Oct 25, 2009 at 11:01 a.m.
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Shouldn't Van Galder pay for the seat belts? After all they do own the busses.
Oct 25, 2009 at 9:33 a.m.
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Another thought-- how much reinforcement of the bus structure occurs in order to provide sufficient support for all those bodies straining against seatbelts during an impact?
Must have an impact on fuel efficiency. . .
As a former bus driver, I see accidents happening if bus drivers are given the task of being sure kids buckle-up and stay that way for the trip.
Janesville seems to be addicted to finding something to brag about.
Oct 25, 2009 at 9:05 a.m.
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Check with Van Galder bus drivers to get the truth. Kids are not wearing the seatbelts consistently. Who is going to check 30+ passengers and enforce the rule?
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