UPDATED: District 68 Works with Districts 58, 99 to Lower Busing Costs

Updated: Tuesday, March 1, 6 a.m.

The School Board voted Monday night to approve the district's transportation contract with Cook Illinois/Westway Coach Inc.

Kevin Wegner, assistant superintendent for business at District 68, said District 99's board was also approving the contract at that board's meeting Monday night.

District 58 already approved the contract on Feb. 14.

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District 68 is set to save $200,000 a year in busing costs.

The savings are possible because of coordination between District 68 administrators and administrators from Downers Grove Grade School District 58 and Community High School District 99 to approve three-year busing contracts from the same company.

Because of overlapping bus routes, the districts will be able to combine bus routes and decrease the number of buses needed.

The "bulk discount," which administrators had eyed in the past, was available because the busing contracts of all three districts were up for renewal at the same time.

District 58 board members approved a three-year busing contract from Cook Illinois/Westway Coach Inc. on Monday. Kevin Wegner, assistant superintendent for business at District 68, expected the District 68 board to follow suit at its next meeting on Feb. 28.

Although Cook Illinois/Westway Coach Inc. was District 68's second lowest bid, Wegner said the district would still save considerably. "The important thing is we did it in coordination with other districts," he said.

More savings could be possible, as well, if District 58's middle and parochial schools and are able to change some bell times.

"We could eliminate three buses if some bell times were changed," Wegner said. "District 58 will probably try to address that to realize some additional savings. It's not something that would happen immediately."

If those schools did change bell times, District 68 could save an additional $70,000.

The move will save District 58 approximately $230,000 in the first year,with more savings possible in later years if the district is able to implement a bell schedule change.

While the District 58 board had held no formal discussion on how to re-allocate the savings, a concern about a perceived disparity in technology among the district’s schools was raised earlier in the meeting by Steve Funk, the board's vice president.

Upon learning of the savings that would result from the reduced busing costs, board member John Miller turned to Funk and said, “There’s your [money for] Dukane projectors and Smart Boards right there."