Geographic and management factors that influence pupil transportation costs

Purpose. The purpose of this investigation was to study the influence of a series of geographic and management variables on the cost of public school transportation in Missouri. If positive relationships could be determined, it is conceivable that transportation managers could manipulate the variables to improve cost efficiency.; Methodology. The study was limited to 533 Missouri public school districts. The dependent variable was the district average cost of transporting one pupil to and from school for one day. The eleven independent variables were a select set of geographic and management variables. The four geographic variables were the number of square miles served, the average number of pupils transported daily (ADT), the number of square miles per ADT, and the number of district attendance centers. The seven management variables were contracted versus school owned bus service, the number of district bus routes, ADT per route, the length of bus routes, the number of linear miles buses travel per ADT, and use versus nonuse of noon kindergarten routes and multiple bus routes. District data were subjected to correlation analysis, t test and regression analysis.; Conclusions. The following conclusions are based on the analysis of the findings: (1) The number of square miles per ADT and the number of linear miles per ADT were the respective geographic and management variables having the greatest influence on pupil transportation cost. A decrease in either the number of square miles per ADT or the number of linear miles per ADT corresponds to a decrease in pupil transportation cost. (2) Management variables have more impact on pupil transportation cost than do geographic variables. The four management variables--linear miles per ADT, ADT per route, route length and contracted versus school owned transportation--had the greatest influence on transportation cost. (3) There is a significant difference between the means of geographic and management variables for school districts with school owned buses versus districts that contract for bus services that have a significant influence on transportation cost. These include the geographic variables--ADT, square miles per ADT, and the number of attendance centers, as well as the management variables--number of routes, and use versus nonuse of kindergarten and multiple routes. School transportation contractors tend to work in districts that reflect characteristics that lead to low cost busing but their transportation does not cost less. However, data indicate no difference in the overall efficiency between districts that own buses and districts that contract for bus service. (4) Decision makers should focus on management options that lead to low cost busing like decreasing the number of district bus routes and use versus nonuse of noon kindergarten routes and multiple routing. (5) Managers of transportation should design bus routes that employ the fewest buses workable and require buses to travel the lowest number of linear miles per ADT possible. Managers should consider strategies that include multiple routing and reduce the number and length of bus routes.