School Board Recommends a Change in Busing

Local school officials are turning to its bus service as a possible way to save money and help offset the .

Lamers Transportation is poised to replace Durham School Services as the district's bus provider. Lamers' proposal could net the district about $250,000 in savings, Scott Ecker, director of business service, told the School Board Monday night. 

During the public comment portion of Monday night's meeting at Lakeview Elementary in Wind Lake, drivers for Durham spoke against the move.

"I hope that Durham does not lose this because you've gotten a lower bid.  There's so much more to bus service than cost," said driver John West.  "We love what we do, and we know the kids, which is also important."

Jean Diehl of Wind Lake echoed the concern, citing the change in stipulation that buses be less than 10 years old.  

"I don't know why that requirement was dropped, but I have driven older buses, and I wouldn't want my kid on one, and I don't think other people's kids should ride on them, either."

Ecker said cost wasn't the lone factor in recommending Lamers take over for Durham. 

"In the RFP process, we not only look at cost, but also safety record, experience, reference checks, and service record," he said. "Lamers came back with excellent numbers, they have been a family company since 1944, and has received high marks from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation as well as the Department of Defense for safety."

Allen Lamers, president of the Green Bay-based Lamers, assured the drivers as well, stating "whenever we've entered a district, we have intended to hire as many drivers that would like to work with us provided they meet the criteria.  We know that it's important to try and keep things the same with drivers. They are obviously a critical part of what we do."

However, Mike Bennett, operations supervisor with Durham, said, "obviously we're disappointed in the decision.  We've done as much as we could to serve Muskego.  However we understand that the deficit was going to be a factor and the decision was made for many reasons, and cost was one of them."