During its regular meeting on Sept. 13, the North Syracuse Central School District Board of Education was provided the opportunity to hear how things are going with the transportation center.
According to Superintendent of Schools Jerome Melvin, the NSCSD Transportation Center Culture Initiative is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the transportation center.
“For the last two years we’ve been trying to improve operations,” Melvin said. “It’s a big operation. We want to improve the efficiency.”
The overall perception of the initiative is to better develop the operations end of the center through working together.
According to Ken Steiger, president of Steiger Training & Development in Tully, from July 2008 to June 2010, the goals of the initiative were to identify the strengths and weaknesses of how people work together, to set and agree to standards of performance for interpersonal behaviors, develop implementation and action steps and to build on “wins,” strengthen the infrastructure and provide visible commitment for on-going success.
Beginning in the summer of 2008, the initiative was implemented by putting together a steering committee, developing a survey for a “cultural snapshot,” conducting the survey and then reporting the results.
An analysis overview showed that efforts made on the parts of the steering committee and sub-committees have made a positive difference in the culture and climate of the transportation center, according to Steiger.
While there is measurable improvement in every performance area, there remain opportunities for additional improvement within the department. Specifically, improvements can be made through greater participation.
The initiative’s next steps will include the steering committee continuing to guide and drive the process of improving operations.
In other BOE news:
The board voted to abolish two full-time bus attendant positions effective Sept. 14. During the 2009-10 school year, there were 21 bus runs with children needing assistance, but this year there are only 19.
