Our Union members who provide safe, reliable transportation for Preston's children delivered petitions at Monday's school board meeting signed by over 300 hundred residents committed to
keeping bus services local. With the help of dozens of outspoken parents and taxpayers, the Board of Education was persuaded to table further action on outsourcing bus services, effectively delaying any attempts to contract-out -- for now.
The local press was there and their reporting focused on the growing concern over an apparent disconnect between public education officials and the local community. Yesterday's
New London Day included an article featuring the comments of Becky Boenig, a member of the Bargaining Team for our Council 760 Chapter that represents the district's school bus workforce.
Becky delivered a
short statement during public comment as her co-workers turned in the original signed petitions. The message was clear; the Board of Education should listen to the residents they serve before sending scarce local education resources to out-of-town companies whose priority is profit, not the best interests of Preston's students.
The Norwich Bulletin covered the meeting as well, and also featured an
article on the board's delay in yesterday's edition.
Photos of Becky, her co-workers, and local residents
speaking at the school board meeting are posted at our online photo gallery.
In addition to tabling their outsourcing scheme, officials also provided long overdue clarification on the status of bidding by outside contractors seeking to take-over the schools' bus services. The agenda included the grievance we filed over the lack of information we have been provided, which was finally
resolved after a lengthy back-and-forth between the district superintendent and Union Staff Representative Kevin Mercik.
Our members' efforts to engage the community in
standing-up to contracting-out transportation services in Preston's schools has paid off -- for now. But in postponing a planned vote to begin requesting bids from outside companies, the full board deferred further action to their transportation sub-committee.
That committee is
scheduled to meet next Monday at the Preston Memorial School Library at 5:00 PM. While there won't be any public comment on the agenda, it is critical that Union members and concerned residents be there to demand local education officials observe a more open and transparent process going forward.
In the meantime, town residents can write
letters to the editor of the New London Day and the Norwich Bulletin to remind the Board of Education of their responsibility. Tell them that if they choose to ignore the will of the people and resume their scheme to contract-out, officials must first hold the public hearing demanded by our petition:
The New London Day:
Norwich Bulletin:
Posted by:
Matt OConnor on 7/21/2010 at 6:23:00 PM