CTY SCHOOL AUDIT- School buses left King Intermediate School after picking up students in Kaneohe yesterday. Honolulu Star-Bulletin Photo by Cindy Ellen Russell
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Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed into law two bills intended to rein in the state’s spending on school bus transportation.
"These measures will help to control the escalating cost of student transportation," Abercrombie said.
The cost of state school bus transportation has nearly tripled to $72.4 million since 2006.
At a press conference Tuesday, Abercrombie gathered with state Board of Education members and praised them for supporting changes aimed at lowering school bus transportation costs.
The board members were appointed by Abercrombie in 2011 after voters approved a state constitutional amendment that did away with an elected school board.
One law, passed as Senate Bill 1082, revised the competitive procurement process. Another, Senate Bill 1083, exempted school bus contracts from matching wages paid to public employees who do similar work.
Both measures became effective upon Abercrombie’s signature.
Abercrombie’s action follows an audit saying the state Department of Education was not addressing anti-competitive behavior among contractors, which allowed dramatic student transportation cost increases.
The study said the state spends about $1,750 per student rider, far higher than the national average.