Brick Schools Announce Plan To Cut 31 Bus Drivers

Thirty-one Brick Township school bus drivers will be losing their jobs, according to a letter from the district to its transportation department.

The letter, dated May 14, and signed by Richard Caldes, interim superintendent of the Brick Township Schools, was distributed Thursday to employees of the Transportation Department.

The two-paragraph letter, which has been posted on social media, reads:

“During the review of the 2015-16 District Budget as well as an assessment of the Transportation Department’s overall structure and efficiencies, it has been determined that a reduction of 31 full-time driver positions for the 2015-16 school year will be deemed necessary.”

“The decision has not been an easy one but is necessary. Further communicatino will be sent when we receive word back from the NJ Civil Service Commission.”

The district’s Transportation Department had 187 employees, as of figures provided to the Patch in February. A breakdown of how many are full-time drivers and how many are part-time was not immediately available.

The letter also comes as the district and Transport Workers Union of America Local 225 Branch 4 -- which represents the drivers as well as grounds maintenance personnel, cafeteria workers, mechanic staff, secretarial staff, and the custodians -- are in contract negotiations. The district’s negotiating team had been led by board member John Talty, until Talty stepped down in April due to health issues.

Talty had been harshly critical of absenteeism issues that existed in the transportation department at a Board of Education meeting earlier this year, saying it was too high and needed to be reduced.

This is developing story. Come back to Patch for more details.