Cary District 26 to keep busing in-house

In the spring, transportation workers in Cary Elementary District 26 offered to take a pay cut in a bid to save their jobs.

The strategy worked. The District 26 school board has decided against outsourcing its transportation department, meaning the jobs of 35 to 40 bus drivers and other employees who support the department are safe.

"Whenever you have a group of folks that come together and figure out how to make things better for an organization, it's really hard to say no," board President Chris Spoerl said.

In fact, the package of concessions employees came up with, including a 5-percent pay cut and reduced spending on supplies, was so effective that four potential transportation contractors declined to submit bids, board members said.

"Four companies were interested in submitting a bid, but when they saw what they had to compete with, they declined to bid," Finance Committee Chairman Chris Jenner said.

The concessions are expected to save about $190,000 out of a $1.5 million transportation budget, officials have said.

To close a budget deficit that otherwise was expected to grow to $6.6 million next year, the board voted early this year to lay off about 80 teachers. It also decided to outsource its custodial department, a move projected to save about $193,000.

District 26 officials are also considering asking taxpayers for help. The board in November 2009 deadlocked on going to referendum, effectively killing the measure, and voters earlier rejected a request for $17 million in bonds.

On June 29, the board is scheduled to discuss whether the district should go to referendum and if so, how much it should ask for.