Ventura County Grand Jury • 2008-2009 • Agency Response
Response to: School District Administration: Is the Cost Too High?

Hueneme Elementary School District*

Published: June 27, 2011 4 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 8 findings

F01 Page 1
School transportation systems have been studied extensively at the national level, and that information indicates that school buses are one of the safest modes of transportation. (FA-01 through FA-04) We agree, so much so that we wonder why the Grand Jury would waste taxpayer resources investigating this issue.
Related Recommendations (1)
R01
Page 2
The VCOE should assume responsibility for the collection, collating, and reporting of County school bus safety information. Hueneme Elementary School District, Port Hueneme, California The Honorable Vincent O'Neill, Jr., Presiding Judge of the Superior Court, County of Ventura RE: Grand Jury Report Dated June 3, 2011 Concerning School Bus Safety June 27, 2011
F02 Page 1
Nationally, the majority of people killed in school transportation-related crashes are not school-age bus riders, but are occupants of other vehicles involved or pedestrians. Students are safer as passengers on school buses than they are as passengers in cars involved in crashes with school buses, or as pedestrians in school bus crashes. (FA-02) Same as above BOARD OF TRUSTEES Darlene A. Bruno, President • Donna L. Branstrom, Clerk • David A. Cenzano, Trustee • Rafael (Ralph) Ramos, Trustee • Scott E. Swenson, Trustee Hueneme Elementary School District, Port Hueneme, California The Honorable Vincent O'Neill, Jr., Presiding Judge of the Superior Court, County of Ventura RE: Grand Jury Report Dated June 3, 2011 Concerning School Bus Safety June 27, 2011
Related Recommendations (1)
R02
Page 3
The VCOE should develop a standard form for the annual collection of school bus safety information from the districts. This information should include: the total number of students who ride the bus to and from school on a daily basis; the total number of students who are transported for field trips, special events, or athletic events; total miles ridden by students; and total number of school bus- related accidents and injuries resulting from those accidents.
F03 Page 2
Not all districts maintain information on school bus safety statistics. Some districts do not track this information at all, while others rely on their contracted bus companies to do so. We cannot speak for all districts; however, the Hueneme School District complies with all current laws related to school transportation.
Related Recommendations (1)
R03
Page 3
The Districts should use the VCOE standard form recommended in R-02, above, to collect school bus safety information, report this information to the VCOE, and post it on district websites.
F04 Page 2
Due to the lack of comparable, consistent school bus safety statistics provided by the districts, it is not possible to determine objective measures of school bus safety, such as accident rates. Thus, it is difficult to conclude that school bus transportation in the County is safe, as previously demonstrated at the national level. It is only possible to infer that school bus transportation in the County is safe from the information provided by the districts. We believe that the CHP would have school bus safety statistics needed to make this determination.
Related Recommendations (1)
R04
Page 3
The VCOE should use the forms provided by the districts to collate school bus safety information for the County and post it on its website. Regarding all of the above, we feel that state laws already address these issues. Once again, we feel the Grand Jury is trying to set up a duplicate system that would waste taxpayer resources by requiring us to report to both the CHP and the VCOE. Respectfully, arlene G. Bruno Darlene A. Bruno Jerry Dannenberg, Ed.D. <b>Board President</b> Superintendent Cc: Robert A. Peskay, Foreman, Ventura County Grand Jury 🗸 800 South Victoria Avenue Ventura, CA 93009 Hueneme Elementary School District Board of Education COPY Huenewe<br> Zlew RECEIVED<br> JUL 06 2011<br> VENTURA COUNTY<br> GRAND JURN TY Response to Grand Jury Report Form Report Title: School Bus Safety Report Date: June 3, 2011 Response By: Jerry Dannenberg Title: Superintendent <b>FINDINGS</b> We agree with the findings numbered: FI-01, FI-02, FI-06, FI-07, FI-08 We disagree wholly or partially with the findings numbered: FI-03, FI-04, FI-05 RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendations numbered ______ have been implemented. (Attach a summary describing the implemented actions.) Recommendations numbered ______ have not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future. (Attach a timeframe for the implementation.) Recommendations numbered ______ require further analysis. (Attach an explanation and the scope and parameters of an analysis or study, and a timeframe for the matter to be prepared for discussion by the officer or director of the agency or department being investigated or reviewed, including the governing body of the public agency when applicable. This timeframe shall not exceed six months from the date of publication of the grand jury report.) Recommendations numbered R-01, R-02, R-03, R-04 will not be implemented because they are not • warranted or are not reasonable. (Attach an explanation.) Signed: 1 alling a Bruso Date: 6/27/11 Darlene A. Bruno, Board President Superintendent Number of pages attached: 3
F05 Page 2
School bus safety statistics, for districts or for individual schools, are not readily available to the public. We disagree with this statement. We believe that the public has access to and can obtain all the school bus accident and transportation program information that the CHP is mandated to collect and report. Recommendations that will not be implemented
No recommendations for this finding
F06 Page 2
The efforts of the CHP, including certifying school bus drivers, investigating school bus accidents, and inspecting school buses, contribute significantly to ensuring school bus safety in California. However, the CHP does not collect information at the school district level. Same as above
No recommendations for this finding
F07 Page 2
The Grand Jury was unable to identify any single local agency responsible for collecting, collating, and reporting County school bus safety information on a countywide basis. (FA-14, FA-18, and FA- 19) We are mandated to report to the CHP. If the Grand Jury wishes changes, they should request them of the CHP.
No recommendations for this finding
F08 Page 2
It is unclear whether seat belts on school buses significantly increase school bus safety. (FA-21, FI-25 through FA -28) We agree. Findings with which we disagree
No recommendations for this finding

* This report's PDF did not contain easily extractable text and required Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for analysis. There may be minor errors in the extracted findings and recommendations due to OCR limitations with scanned documents.