NYAPT Commends Education Commission Report

ALBANY, NY (01/04/2013)(readMedia)-- The New York Association for Pupil Transportation (NYAPT) commends the Governor's New NY Education Reform Commission for presenting an extensive and comprehensive assessment of the current state of affairs in our schools and for offering substantive recommendations for moving forward. NYAPT is pleased to note that issues related to school transportation were highlighted in several areas of the preliminary report.

We are particularly pleased that the Commission recognized the importance of school district collaboration and management of annual calendars and daily schedules (or bell times) as a means of increasing efficiency and facilitating transportation of students. NYAPT has advocated for such coordination among school districts for several years as a way to reduce the costs of school transportation. Clearly, such measures have implications that extend beyond transportation and include access to quality educational programs and services as well as shared services among schools. We urge the Commission and the Governor to continue to advocate for such measures.

Regarding the recommendations for expanded pre-kindergarten services for all children, we note that providing transportation in yellow school buses for these children would help to ensure their safety. We note as well that providing transportation services for Pre-K children can be costly and that such costs should be included as eligible for state reimbursement.

We believe that each child's school day begins with a ride on the yellow school bus and that school transportation services are an integral part of their school experience. Accordingly, it is important that our state's leaders continue to focus on ways to ensure the safety of the more than 2.3 million children who ride the yellow school bus to school each day to access their education. The school transportation community will continue to take steps to modernize their operations and to find ways to be increasingly more efficient without compromising that safety factor.

NYAPT has offered additional recommendations for mandate relief and improved school transportation services. We look forward to continuing our dialogue with the Commission and with the Governor about these issues.

NYAPT is a non-profit professional association comprised of nearly 600 school transportation professionals from across New York State. We are dedicated to the support, development and representation of the women and men who are responsible for transporting 2.3 million New York children safely and efficiently to school each day.