Dallas Agency Starts to Divvy Up Buses, But Can’t Account for Millions in Missing Camera Equipment

Dallas area school districts to get hundreds of buses but millions in camera equipment missing as DCS shuts down Area school districts on Monday got their first look at how many buses they could inherit when Dallas County Schools ceases operations. But a committee overseeing the agency's dissolution continued to learn Monday that shutting DCS down is complicated as they work to track down millions in missing camera equipment. DCS runs 1,616 buses which it will distribute to nine area school districts in proportion to those district's size and transportation usage. Some buses are already owned by the districts while others remain under leases that must be paid off. Eight districts in Dallas County and one in Parker County use DCS for busing. Dallas ISD will get the bulk of the buses -- 962 worth $41 million. The district already owns 84 of them that DCS operated. Aledo ISD, which is the only out-of-county district using the transportation agency's services, owns all 87 buses it is expected to get. Dallas ISD superintendent Michael Hinojosa, who is on the dissolution committee, had been pushing the former DCS management to release details on the bus inventory so that districts can have an idea of what resources they'll have as they plan to take over bussing from DCS. Voters decided to shut down the embattled DCS at the end of this school year after numerous concerns about questionable business practices and financial mismanagement. "A lot is yet to be determined, but we at least have a number for planning purposes," Hinojosa said. "We do have to get this done by August, so there is a short fuse on this whole matter."   Continue reading...

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