THE EFFECT OF THE COST EFFICIENCY FACTOR ON PUPIL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS IN MISSOURI PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Purpose. The study was done to determine practices that affect cost efficiency in the pupil transportation system. The cost factor formula adjustment (ratings below 100 indicate efficiency, ratings above 100 indicate inefficiency) to the state formula for reimbursement of transportation expense was added as a financial incentive for districts to improve efficiency.;Findings. No significant relationships with practices were identified when districts with increasing efficiency were compared with districts with decreasing efficiency. Several practices were identified as significant when districts with stable efficiency were compared to districts with fluctuating efficiency. Among those were: size, density of population, mechanical services, board polices, and use of alternate fuels.;The cost factor formula has no bias for district size with the possible exception of small districts. The findings indicated that district-operated systems tended to be more efficient than contracted systems.;The adjustment based on the cost factor formula has not resulted in a reduction of the state's proportion of support to local district transportation costs. Since the adjustment was added to the formula, the number of eligible miles traveled by school buses remained nearly constant.;Method of Research. Information from a questionnaire to selected school districts identified as having increased or decreased efficiency, having stable or varying efficiency in the State of Missouri and data from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education provided the data for the study.;Conclusions. There are no methods or practices that were identified as consistently influencing change in transportation efficiency. There is no advantage for either rural or urban districts in increasing cost efficiency, although districts in less populous areas will be more likely to see fluctuations in the cost efficiency of the student transportation system. District-operated transportation is likely to operate more efficiently as measured by the state's efficiency formula. The efficiency formula has not resulted in less support from the state to local district transportation. While the number of eligible miles traveled by the buses has remained constant, there has been an increase in ineligible miles traveled throughout the state.