Eagle columnist Mark McCormick put a spotlight this month on what’s becoming a growing problem: the lack of transparency when private companies do government work. McCormick focused on Durham Bus Services, which provides bus transportation for the Wichita school district. He related the difficulty he and some parents have had getting information about bus drivers. Unlike the school district, Durham is a private company, and it has refused to answer basic questions about its bus drivers.
As governmental units, including the U.S. military, outsource more and more work to private contractors, the public may save some money, but it can also lose accountability.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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18 Comments
One thing I liked in Goddard when my son rode the bus to school was that the driver was a regular district employee. Durine the day he had other duties making him fulltime – with benefits and responsibilities.
YA’ KNOW WHAT MAKES ME SICK?
It just sickens me that now congress critters judge each other by measurements of earmarks and how much money they appropriate for their lobbyists.”He’s a bad guy because he’s getting X number of dollars for X number of corporations and X number of pork projects.”
Sadly, that is the normal working routine (when they do work).The way our political system has evolved since the industrialization of our country, has been totally geared towards big business and industry, and away from the interests of the people.
I believe it is an accurate statement to say that business does in fact, by proxy, run our govt.
NOW THAT’S WHAT MAKES ME SICK!
Interestingly enough, recently a Durham Bus Services driver/employee was convicted of “criminal destruction of property”, violation of a PFA and plea bargined out of a stalking charge. This was not a domestic situation. The same employee also tested positive for meth. With much fanfare, Durham fired her … with no fanfare, they rehired her three days later. Am I the only person who thinks this suspicious, at best?? Would you like your children or grandchildren on that bus ?
I used to work for Durham, and I can tell you they do a full background check on any driver, or aide that applies. However they should be forced by law to release information of who is driving kids to and from school, to any parent that asks. I do know that while I was driving, had any parent asked me to give them info about me, I would’ve gladly given it to them, so they can look it up themselves. I as a parent would feel a whole lot better if I knew a background on whoever has contact with my children.
To:rm6046 I was in the middle of writing my post when you posted yours. I know how they are about firing people. I was fired because my son got sick alot(And was told I was not eligible for re hire because I turned them in to the head office, for firing me! I lost everything because of them),I’ve always been his primary caretaker, and mostly I think they are very discriminatory about who works for them. I can’t believe they’d actually allow this person to be around kids after testing for drugs, and she came back positive!How crazy is that?! I don’t allow my children to ride their busses, as the last time I did, the driver’s were very unfair towards them.
What does Mark McCormick consider a basic question?
I’m assuming stuff like qualifications and criminal background checks?
Why can’t the Eagle do a little private detective work like taking down the license plate numbers of the cars as they drive in and out of the lots of the various Durham School Bus Service administrative and maintenance areas?
I believe driver’s license record request require a third party waiver:
You may have to ask an attorney about this one, but why not use the Kansas Open Records act to request the names of all drivers with a Class B license and a P endorsement? (Class B being max weight for buses and P being the endorsement for passengers.)
The commercial licenses are for four years, so you may have to narrow a search by expiration year or application year.
hmmmmmm, that Goddard bus driver’s name wasn’t Larry, was it?
Having come from a small town myself, I agree that knowing the drivers is much easier. Whether when I attended or my kids did, if I wasn’t related to them (one aunt and a cousin), I knew them and their family, or at least could ask around for their pedigree. *grin*
Maybe Mark M. should read some minutes from a school board meeting. They go into a private session everytime a human resources issues is to be discussed, Very private. Beyond the name of the employee you don’t get anything. High level administrators may post more in a bio, but only their own educational background.
Anyway (to stop rambling) all you need is the full name of the driver and you can search court records for criminal convictions. What else is needed? That bus driver is just as accountable, regardless of who signs the paychecks.
RD – it has been a number of years … what I remember is that we all knew everyone and they also had a good ‘book’ on the kids – which ones needed a little extra ‘attention’ ;^)
Man…people just are not going to be pleased, are they? Either there is mass whining because of the cost of providing services, or if outsourced, people complain about that.
Wake up, people…the world is not perfect…
Private business, paid with public dollars for X project, should be held accountable for ALL public dollars spent on that project. Anything is is pure politics and is NOT what this government should be about.
Halliburton, et al, should be open to the scutiny of the public on every project paid for by public dollars. Think it will ever happen? Sure it will . . . just like lobby reform.
Outsourcing civil services to private companies is a universally bad idea.
Whether it be school bus drivers or security for the military, private concern is with and only with the almighty bottom line.
raptor – you might have failed to notice that I referred to a system that I think works well …
Nope..I did catch that, hmmmm. You are the only one to offer a positive suggestion, instead of just knocking everything that is tried…
Seems like it is just a lot easier to find fault with things instead of offering positive ideas.
One thing that struck me about Goddard’s approace is that the district needs “handymen” etc; why not just hire multi-purpose people who can drive buses and also carry out other functions. This way they are Goddard people, not some anonymous contractors.
GO LIONS!
Barb : Just heard Channel 10 is going after Durham on Monday night !!! Let’s see !!!
The main complaint I have with some Durham drivers is their suicidal attitude towards driving. SS&L NEVER had buses that make dumbastic (my word, invented for this post) turns, stops, etc. like Durham. Maybe meth is in the breakroom?
What’s worse is there is no law that defends your ability to go into a school and see what is happening to your kids during school.
Daycares are forced to allow for parents to show up unannounced, nursing homes must allow people to drop in and visit at any time. But schools get a free pass. They could be in there locking your child in a closet, and you’d never even know it.