Drivers say school bus inspectors not needed

By Emily Richmond

Tuesday, May 6, 2003 | 11:05 a.m.

As the Clark County School Board prepares to meet Wednesday and hash out a budget that could include $110 million in cuts, some of the district's bus drivers say they know what should be the first to go -- the transportation investigators who write them up for everything from speeding to dirty uniforms.

Walt Rulffes, deputy superintendent of operations for the school district, said transportation services is high on the list of potential cuts if lawmakers do not endorse Gov. Kenny Guinn's proposal for new and increased taxes.

All areas of transportation are being considered for cuts, Rulffes said, including bus service for area high schools. If the district reduces the number of drivers, it would also likely need fewer investigators, he said. But there is no plan to eliminate the positions, he said.

As the Clark County School District has grown, so has the job of its transportation investigators. Their primary duty is to help ensure the safety of students in and around the school buses. They try to make sure the bus drivers aren't speeding or driving recklessly.

The district spends about $500,000 a year for the 15 investigators, a tally that includes salaries, vehicles and operational costs, Rulffes said.

But some bus drivers say that the investigators are not really needed, that they go too far and wind up interfering with the drivers doing their jobs.

"When I get into a group of drivers I nearly always hear it, 'Why do you need those people out there? It's a waste of money,' " Richard Ennes, business manager for the school district, said. "The truth is, they've been of enormous value, especially in following up on parental concerns about bus stops, walkways and hazards."

Nevertheless, tensions are high between investigators and the district's more than 900 bus drivers, said Doug McCain, president of the union representing Clark County School District's support employees.

McCain said he hears about once a week from drivers who feel they've been unfairly targeted by the investigators, sometimes referred to as "the goon squad."

"A lot of the drivers feel the investigators overstep their bounds on a regular basis," McCain said last week.

When Andre Simms quit driving a Clark County school bus to become an investigator, he knew he may lose some friends.

"We're not popular with everybody," Simms said. "Most drivers know we're just doing our jobs, but some think we're out to get them, trying to catch them making mistakes. They're wrong."

Investigators often are called to the scene of an accident or to help a driver control the students on a bus, Simms said. Last month, for example, a fight broke out between students on a bus bound for Vo-Tech, and the driver called for backup.

"We try and defuse the situation and make sure the drivers can safely continue their route," said Simms, who has been with the district 15 years. "If they can't then we stay with them until school police come and take over."

But conversations with more than a dozen drivers, all of whom asked not to be identified for fear of retribution, yielded consistent complaints, from speed traps to buses being tailed by investigators.

One driver said he spotted a traffic investigator parked along a bus route with his radar gun at the ready. The driver radioed his co-workers to warn them, a move that he says got him written up by his superiors for improper use of the communications system.

All of the district's investigators are former school bus drivers. The starting salary for investigators is $15.18 per hour, compared with $13.11 for bus drivers. While bus drivers don't come to work on teacher development days when schools are closed, investigators do. That's another sore point, some drivers have said.

"What are they doing all day if we're not on the road?" asked one driver, who has been with the district for more than five years. "Everyone's talking about budget cuts, budget cuts. That's where they should start, send those guys home."

On teacher development days investigators review complaints and map out bus routes for new neighborhoods, Ron Despenza, director of the district's bus yard, said.

Despenza said the majority of drivers have no problem with the investigators, and that it's most likely employees who are caught breaking the rules who carry a grudge.

The investigators all receive the same radar gun training as Metro Police, but use the devices only when following up on specific complaints from parents or residents, Despenza said.

The investigators wear military-style uniforms and have yellow security lights inside their vehicles. They are not armed and do not issue tickets or citations to regular motorists.

"Their primary concern is student safety on and off the bus," Despenza said. "They know they're not cops."

Despenza's office reviews about 25 reports of alleged infractions each month, ranging from minor offenses such as not wearing the required uniform to more serious charges, including failing to check the bus at the end of the shift to make sure no students are still inside.

About 75 percent of those reports result in some sort of action, from a verbal warning to a letter being attached to a personnel file, Despenza said.

"We have a stern disciplinary program, and as a result we're seeing fewer and fewer infractions," Despenza said.

The investigators also make regular spot checks at school sites, like the one carried out last week at Lawrence Middle School.

Behind the wheel of a Clark County School District bus, Audrey White pulled into the driveway of the campus in the district's southwest region, ready to pick up her usual load of students.

But instead Guillermo "Willy" Tanon, a lead transportation investigator, was waiting for her.

After greeting her with a friendly smile, Tanon made a quick check of White's paperwork -- including her license, proof of a physical exam and the log book she's supposed to keep updated. He also inspected the bus's turn signals, brake lights and the stop sign that extends from the side of the bus -- all items White is responsible for reviewing herself before leaving the the bus yard.

"Everything looks good, go ahead," Tanon told White, waving her toward the front of the school where she was to pick up her passengers. "Have a good day."

Rather than resenting the surprise inspection, White said she welcomed it.

"Anybody can get lax in their job, I don't care what you do for a living," said White, who has been driving school buses for nearly five years. "You don't want your doctor making mistakes, and we can't make mistakes either. We transport the most precious cargo in the world."