Rhonda Thurman, who has long been critical of a large county expense for busing magnet school students, may have a new ally on the board.
Tiffanie Robinson said Tuesday night she is interested in exploring the option of open enrollment for the county schools.
Under open enrollment, students would be able to attend any school of their choice on a space available, first come, first served basis. However, they would have to provide their own transportation.
Ms. Robinson, who replaced George Ricks in District 4, said she was open to looking into the possible benefits of the move. "Nashville is dong it," she said.
Ms. Thurman said it was "an excellent idea."
She said the county schools had open enrollment "and it worked for years, then Jesse Register ended it. Now he wants to bring it back."
Officials noted that the school transportation budget has climbed from $7.9 million at the time the city went out of the school business to the current $15.4 million.
Ms. Thurman said moving to open enrollment could help bring the budget back down and ease in a move back toward independent contract drivers.
Ms. Robinson asked other board members to state whether they would consider the move, but the board moved on to other topics and no one spoke up other than Ms. Thurman.
The board on Tuesday heard from a number of the independent, many of whom expressed dissatisfaction with a "hybrid plan" developed by Assistant Supt. Lee McDade.
Under the plan, 35 independent drivers who get health benefits could continue to do so. They would also get three percent increases on seat pay and operation (including fuel) pay.
The schools would continue to pay their liability insurance.
Dr. McDade said they would not be able to take on additional bus routes since, in getting benefits, they would be classified as employees.
However, they could opt to shift to a category along with 14 other independent drivers who get no benefits.The school system is offering to pay them $9,500 in lieu of the lack of benefits.
They would get an additional $9,500 for each bus route they take on.
Independent drivers say they could handle as many as 77 routes. However, the board earlier voted to limit the increase in contact routes to 20.
Jerry Green, a spokesman for the independent drivers, said the drivers are seeking to be paid $330 per day. He said with the current "low pay scale" that it is hard to stay in the school bus business.
Several board members said the hybrid plan appears to be fair, when needs of taxpayers are also considered, and urged the drivers to consider taking the offer.