Two kids on the school bus, today. I picked them up within walking distance of two elementary schools and drove them to their assigned elementary school on the other side of town. The total distance was approximately 16 miles. They will need another bus ride to get home so let's say 32 for the day.
The bus gets about 9 miles to the gallon and diesel is about $4 per gallon. So: Cost of driver, about $40, plus cost of fuel, about $15, adds up to about $55 which comes out to about $27.50 per student - each day. And that doesn't include anything for the bus, the company, the insurance, etc.
The reason for this insanity? I think it's the same reason that we have such insane health care costs, today - NOBODY CARES WHAT IT COSTS BECAUSE NOBODY KNOWS WHO'S PAYING THE BILL. If those who used the service had to pay the bill these bus rides would stop. IMMEDIATELY! And I read, the other day, that the top man at Omaha Public Schools, the man in charge of busing, was paid $425,000.00 for his services last year.
QUESTION: Do you think the good PhD would still have his job if OPS was a business? I think not!
