SUTTONS BAY -- Roger Merriman doesn't favor a proposal to transport Suttons Bay Public Schools' students to and from class aboard a public transit bus.
Then again, Merriman won't dismiss a proposal that potentially could save the Leelanau County school district nearly $600,000.
"We aren't at a point with our school funding where we get to choose between good and bad," said Merriman, vice president of the school board. "We are at a point where we can choose between bad and worse. We've got to find some way to keep our head above water."
Bay Area Transportation Authority officials at Monday's school board meeting plan to discuss their proposal to bus students to and from class if the district eliminates general transportation.
Superintendent Mike Murray said he'll recommend that board members discontinue the district's general transportation system. Board members either can vote Monday on Murray's recommendation, or table their decision until an April 26 meeting.
"If nothing happens, you'll have no way of getting your kids to school," said Tom Menzel, BATA executive director.
The BATA proposal will not go any further until the school board decides whether to eliminate its general transportation system. Menzel estimates that students will be able to ride the bus to and from school throughout the academic year for about $300.
But the proposal has spurred a variety of concerns among locals. An employee union last month sent a one-page mailing to district families where members outlined concerns that BATA drivers won't be held to the same safety standards as school bus drivers. The union also expressed concerns that BATA can transport anyone along with students, and the buses are not equipped with overhead lights.
BATA plans to section off a portion of the buses for students if the proposal goes through, Menzel said. BATA buses next year also will include surveillance cameras -- a move Menzel hopes will alleviate any safety concerns.
"It will not be the same service as a school bus," he said. "We can't just bus students."
And if the board cuts its general transportation system, several local bus drivers would be out of a job.
"If it can be our current drivers, that concern just disappears," said Kim Eike, school board member.
Employment preference would be given to Suttons Bay bus drivers if they apply for a position with BATA, because they know the routes and the students, Menzel said.
