OXFORD — The Oxford Hills School District has announced a series of parent and community meetings beginning this week to address a proposed single-bus-run system.

The Oxford Hills School District Board of Directors gave the go-ahead to Superintendent Rick Colpitts and other school officials on Feb. 7 to look into reducing bus runs from the current two-run system order to help meet an estimated $1.2 million to $2 million budget gap in the coming fiscal year.

The move to reduce the current two bus runs to a single one, carrying all-age students on one bus, is expected to save about $393,000 — a number that will go a long way toward meeting predicted budget deficits, Colpitts said at the time.

The first meetings begin at 7 p.m. March 3  in the Guy E. Rowe Elementary School in Norway and the Hebron Station School. Other meetings are set for West Paris, Paris, Waterford, Oxford, Otisfield and Harrison schools between March 8 and March 14.

The board’s approval is only to study the option by gathering information. A recommendation on whether to implement the plan will be made by Colpitts when he presents his fiscal year 2012 school budget this spring. The new fiscal budget begins July 1, 2011, and runs through June 30, 2012.

School officials said the meetings are being held to address questions and concerns about the potential implementation of a single-bus-run system. Parents and other interested parties are encouraged to attend.

Currently the school district operates separate runs for elementary, and middle school/high school students. There are 57 bus routes that average 777,000 miles per year.

According to information from the superintendent’s office, the school district currently spends annually a total of $1.5 million in salaries, diesel, repairs and maintenance, parts, supplies, tires for the dual bus runs.

School officials say the benefits would include fewer annual miles on buses and middle school and high school students would not have to get on the bus so early in the morning. One bus schedule would also be easier for parents with children at both the elementary and the middle school/high school level, officials said.

While there are many benefits, officials have also listed some issues that go along with the proposed change.

They include: the need for additional buses and drivers, concerns from parents regarding having very young children on buses with older students; concerns about loss of hours for a significant number of employees (drivers and potentially mechanics) and longer ride times for some middle school and high school students.

Officials say students may be assigned to new routes if the plan to reduce the bus runs to 34 routes is approved. While the routes have not yet been “fined tuned,” officials say six routes look like they will take more than one hour, and at least five additional buses and drivers would be needed. Ways to address the issues are being investigated now.

If approved, the goal is that schools will have a similar start time, there will be no loss of instructional time, all students will be transported in a reasonable amount of time and all students will be transported safely.

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OXFORD — School Superintendent Rick Colpitts has set the following parent/community meetings to outline the proposed one bus run.

March 3, 2011 – Guy E. Rowe School, Norway – 7 p.m.

March 3, 2011 – Hebron Station School – 7 p.m.

March 8, 2011 – Agnes Gray School, West Paris – 7 p.m.

March 8, 2011 – Paris Elementary School – 7 p.m.

March 10, 2011 – Waterford Memorial School – 7 p.m.

March 10, 2011 – Oxford Elementary School – 7p.m.

March 14, 2011 – Otisfield Community School – 7 p.m.

March 14, 2011 – Harrison Elementary School – 7 p.m.