GREENFIELD — In an effort to quell concerns about transportation spending, the School Committee has approved conducting a study to determine whether it would be cheaper to contract a special education busing system outside of the school district or retain the School Department’s existing self-operated system.
The seven-member School Committee voted 4-1 with two abstentions last week to spend $9,995 on the study, which will be conducted by Longmeadow-based Alliance Education Associates LLC. Members Elizabeth DeNeeve and Ann Childs abstained from voting, while Kathryn Martini voted against the measure.
School Department Business Manager Andy Paquette said the idea for the study was first raised by former Superintendent Karin Patenaude when fiscal year 2026 budget discussions drew questions about the district’s transportation spending.
In response to concerns over the costs of special education transportation, Paquette said he analyzed the district’s total transportation costs in comparison to surrounding communities using the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) District Analysis Review Tools system.
“There are so many variables involved in [special education transportation,” Paquette noted. “We’re talking down to the level of some students on a van would require a monitor, some students on a van require being harnessed, they require being in car seats, etc.”
However, he added that his research did not quell the community’s concerns over special education busing costs.
“The former superintendent, based on feedback and the seemingly constant discussion regarding special education transportation and the questions that had come up from presentations made to City Council, discussions about the overall transportation [and] the whole concept of owning our vans [first brought the study forward],” Paquette said. “Admittedly, my analysis was cost basis-only, and comparing the cost of special education transportation and regular education transportation in Greenfield with the other communities, other districts that DESE compares us to.”
The School Committee initially discussed the purchase of special education vans and small buses in an effort to save costs associated with contracting services in 2019.
According to data obtained from the Finance Department through a public records request, the School Department in FY25 had more than $1.1 million in its Transportation Revolving Account. The same document states that in FY26, the department, now with roughly $1.3 million in its Transportation Revolving Account, expects to spend $400,000 in expenses.
When DeNeeve asked Paquette whether paying $9,995 to study the city’s in-house special education transportation is expected to result in saving the district more money in the future, he said it is too soon to say.
“The $10,000, in my opinion, is going to 100% put to rest the concerns about the fact that years ago, it was agreed that we would buy vans and run our own transportation operations,” Paquette said. “I’ve said it before, I’m very surprised at the amount of revenue that this generates.”
