The Hawaii Department of Education released Management Partnership Services’ report today after keeping it under wraps for almost two weeks so the Attorney General could review it for whatever reason.

“The report provides an excellent and needed road map for the Department to comprehensively address our bus transportation challenges,” stated Board of Education Chair Don Horner said in a news release today. “The Board is appreciative of the Superintendent and her new management team’s commitment to address these long-standing educational challenges with transparency and a sense of urgency. We have invited the principles of Management Partnership Services to a Board public informational briefing on December 4.”

Here are the findings from the study that the DOE highlighted:

·There is a lack of cost data to do year-over-year studies. However, most glaring is that the costs of school bus transportation in Hawaii are among the highest in the nation at $86,500 per active bus route, and about $1,750 per transported student. Dramatic cost increases between the 2006 and 2010 fiscal years were largely attributed to higher rates paid to bus contractors. The increase in rates in fiscal year 2011-12 did not subside, but leveled as a result of fewer routes.

·Procurement and contracting practices are inefficient with the absence of competitive bidding due to the constraints in the procurement process itself. Furthermore, efficiency of the bus contractors should be better clarified along with service requirements to support improvement recommendations.

·The DOE’s student bus transportation staff needs to be realigned, and receive training and improved support to administer vast responsibilities of a $60 million annual budget.

Read the full report here: