As many of you know the West Deptford Board of Education tried to build a bus depot behind the Sherwood West neighborhood without informing the residents. Local residents only discovered this scheme when one of them quizzed a land surveyor about what they were doing behind his house. Since this revelation, there have been 2 very well attended BOE meetings where residents questioned the timing, location and financial feasibility of the board’s actions. Acting Superintendent Brian Gismondi agreed to “pause” this program after outcry from the community during the November meeting.
West Deptford School Bus Debacle Background
Roughly 18-20 months ago, during the height of the pandemic, Gene Mercoli (West Deptford School Business Administrator) presented a very short Powerpoint during one of the board meetings. In his presentation he claimed the district could save between 10-14 percent annually if WD were to start our own transportation company. This presentation was very vague and attendees were presented with no concrete figures or calculations. It is important to note that this EXACT presentation was used again nearly 2 years later at the November meeting to justify his call for a the creation of a WD School Bus Company. No figures were updated, even though fuel costs have gone up exponentially along with labor costs during 24 months of the worst inflation in US history.
When Gene Mercoli originally floated the idea, parents questioned his timing especially since their children had essentially lost an entire year of education due to the district’s overly aggressive shutdown, virtual learning and hybrid learning COVID policies. Their questions were met with smirks, laughs and whispers from from Mr. Mercoli and at times his audible distain for their questions.
Note: Gene Mercoli comes to West Deptford from Vineland School District where a similar program was implemented. This district was plagued by driver shortages and cancelled routes in 2021. A story by the Courier Post spotlighted these issues here.
*Questions:
- How will buying our own busses, building a bus depot and hiring our own drivers save WD Schools money over 3-5-10 years.
- How will WD recruit bus drivers when Holcolmb Bus Company is paying $28.00/hr and a $2,500 signing bonus to new drivers.
- Where will WD build a bus depot?
- How can WD run a bus company more efficiently than a private bus company?
- Will WD Bus Drivers receive a Pension and School Employee Benefits?
- Will WD be creating new Administrative positions with bloated, 6-figure salaries?
Board Meeting 1/17/23
Tonight “Transportation Update” was again on the agenda. Gene Mercoli made a presentation to the board where he broke down his proposed budget. He did clarify the WD School Bus drivers would receive a Pension and School Employee Benefits. He noted that his projected salary numbers, fuel costs and projects bus lease costs are admittedly in “flux” and are not final. Mr. Mercoli has not compared his numbers to a 3 or 5 year year contract with Holcolmb Bus Company. His numbers are based solely on 1 year contract. To date he has presented 3 different savings figures ($450K, $625K, $725k). His numbers seem to grow every month. He disclosed that they have not settled on a property for the bus depot.
Mr. Holcolmb himself gave public comment at the meeting. He stressed that Gene Mercoli’s numbers are WAY off. He said that his mechanic’s salary estimates are 40% too low and his insurance numbers are also low. He also pointed to the fact that Mr. Mercoli is comparing a 1-year contract with Holcolmb instead of a 3-5 year contract.