Jefferson County school officials are cracking down on
taking their buses home overnight, saying it's costing the district money.
Drivers are not supposed to take buses home at night unless it saves the district money on fuel costs and mileage. In other words, if they live closer than where they would normally park their bus, then it benefits the district and the driver to take the bus home at night.
However, an internal audit on the district's 400 buses show that 61 of them are going home each day with their drivers to places further than their bus route, and it's costing the district around $172,000 in fuel costs.
There are cases in which it's advantageous for a driver to take his bus home, said Jefferson County Deputy Superintendent Yancy Morris. But then there are numerous examples where it makes no sense, he said.
"For example, we have a Gardendale route parked in Morris," he said. "There's no way that's efficient."
Morris said he is talking to these drivers about finding a different, more efficient place to park their buses, but warned school board members Monday that they may have some drivers resign over the crack down.
"But we could buy two school buses for the amount we're paying in fuel costs to park these buses at their house," he said. "A school bus gets 6 miles per gallon, so we just can't justify it."
Vi Parramore, president of the American Federation of Teachers in Jefferson County, said she understands the district's predicament but worries about where the buses will be parked, because she doesn't want them to be stolen or vandalized.
"Those bus drivers take care of those buses like they are their babies," she said. "So where we keep those buses is of great concern to me."
Morris said he would make sure drivers find appropriate -- and efficient -- places to park them.
Updated at 11:36 a.m. to include Vi Parramore's comments.