[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6493809,"mediaKeyId","5444717-b48bfc67f9f024d21621fa7d952e44d6","parentId",5444717,"title","Transportation department reports driver shortage, route adjustments and Woodland transfer pilot","audioSeconds",512,"startMs",2017000,"endMs",2529000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5444717-b48bfc67f9f024d21621fa7d952e44d6&start=2017&end=2529","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5444717-b48bfc67f9f024d21621fa7d952e44d6/thumbnail_2017000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6493809/Minnesota/Transportation-department-reports-driver-shortage-route-adjustments-and-Woodland-transfer-pilot","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6493809-38ec3fb36222983f5a11b01571ac1030/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148818&Signature=efo1xgsO2Mnc4hx8XmO-bORfFmFhPu0Z9f45tnOaMYs0tMYQzktws9OR4o9-lH8EHyUpEAGc9Gc3tMmz0uTcQgOu7iEJzCVAsr0V05qDHpTVumN8dR42nIvoaeyBRLWOTf1o4zQ8fcwSmph1kv38vI~6LHu5XUC~HWjkDGC~JAMvAYtnK0KLE9Qy6mIDgF14XUDyuOQD-7aJ5ddhyi4m1WCeHjTBGfARrCo7F8HozJIse1dXE4cL2UrekWCzQWwYGJ5sEoWQwY6P2gWChBDuHt6GZA9ukSXhTSTvu-4eVASmEq1jzQJMR~BrjCrIax-LX~zxcb~YPtz6EH~1dSl15w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alexandria Public Schools","date","2025-07-22T02:23:13.757Z","article","A district transportation staff member reported operations and staffing data to the board, noting route totals, fleet size and plans intended to reduce student travel time.

Nut graf: The district runs dozens of daily routes and faces a continuing driver shortfall; staff described a Woodland transfer pilot and recruitment steps aimed at stabilizing service as the new school year approaches.

Presenter Amy Moose (transportation staff) told the board the district has 52 buses and 13 vans and ran about 78 morning/afternoon routes plus 16 midday shuttle routes in the last school year. She said 2,116 students were scheduled on a bus route last year and that the department started the year with 37 route drivers and ended with 32; staff reported needing three additional drivers to be fully staffed for the coming school year.

Moose said the department ran 817 in-district field trips last school year and that summer routes supported 13 summer programs. She reported transportation overtime fell 29% in 2024–25 compared with 2023–24 and described maintenance, DOT inspection timing and a recent increase in staff training on student behavior de-escalation and restraint/seat-harness requirements.

On a pilot change that began late in the school year, Moose described moving an end-of-day transfer location to Woodland so buses would meet at a central site and depart earlier; the pilot reduced the total time some high-school students spent waiting for buses, and the district said it will continue the pilot and collect feedback from students, parents and drivers.

Board members and staff emphasized recruitment strategies, including flexible schedules, hiring bus assistants as a pathway to full driver certification, and greater collaboration with HR. No formal action was taken; staff said recruiting work with human resources will continue through the summer and into the fall.

Ending: Transportation staff asked the board for continued support on recruitment; they also invited community members to consider bus-assistant roles as an entry point to becoming a bus driver.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","July 21, 2025 Regular School Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Transportation staff reported fleet and staffing counts, route totals, a driver shortfall and an ongoing transfer pilot at Woodland to reduce student time on buses.","taxTitle","ALEXANDRIA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Boards, Minnesota","taxId",60463,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6493814,"Alexandria ABE and community education presenters highlight year of expanding services",757,596000,1353000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5444717-b48bfc67f9f024d21621fa7d952e44d6&start=596&end=1353","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5444717-b48bfc67f9f024d21621fa7d952e44d6/thumbnail_596000.jpg","/articles/6493814/Minnesota/Alexandria-ABE-and-community-education-presenters-highlight-year-of-expanding-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6493814-c77692a9b8b79ed09ddbd3c2f8aa3071/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148818&Signature=CUUi2IQO3ScpuJ6FiiRidOma~BMlv575LhCD9sVY3DlERA05qYn7w5hakq-rHbP9OOzrqpS908R6XDQF5os3R1-s-CVsNV5T32xO2L0u4Bd4TSf9~-AnImeR03aLkud8lcdHvvW-y86IxfMcVKn5MM-NXu9taYg5Ygyi11Idht4f9Hxd36a47sxqwT-sO8oC04TtX3OU4xdzXkn1NEcqI3y3-0-QOr~IezPlo~7M2Q0KCNzfbAfdyDm1ARRSTtkffKv-aAAcGMZKfhEVtFEv40-lRMd~MG-RbYp1UEFcGxoiov8QUI6H3K6QnUwBe7i8D4q6o7qstEFpL3QkgEmTng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Julie Fitec, the Alexandria-area adult basic education coordinator, and Pam Hendrickson, the district’s adult enrichment coordinator, told the Alexandria Public School District board that their programs continued to expand and to draw regional partners.

Fitec said the Alexandria Area Adult Basic Education consortium serves 11 school districts across roughly 2,800 square miles and that ABE provides GED and adult-diploma programs, basic skills, English language classes and citizenship instruction. “Our services are all free, all confidential,” she said, adding the program is funded by state and federal grants and that Minnesota Adult ABE is the statewide system.

Nut graf: The presentations detailed both career- and life-skills instruction for adult learners (ABE) and a broad schedule of community education classes for residents. Board members heard enrollment and service metrics and were told federal funding changes could affect a regional online career collaborative that helps deliver career-focused courses.

By the numbers, Fitec told the board the consortium served 308 learners last year and recorded 8,320 learner contact hours. She said learners come from more than 25 countries and speak more than 14 languages; the largest foreign-born student groups cited were from Mexico, Haiti, Nicaragua and Ukraine. Fitec described employer partnerships and a Regional Online Career Collaborative (ROC) that allows learners across consortia to take synchronized online career courses; she said ROC is federally funded and that its future depends on federal grant continuation.

Two ABE learners, Madeline Estetavaria and Maria Forsberg, spoke to the board about how ABE helped them. Estetavaria, who said she came from Cuba two years ago and now works as a paraeducator at Woodland Elementary, read a short poem about perseverance and said ABE “has not only been a school for me, it is also being my second home.” Forsberg said she used the ABE program to obtain a high-school diploma and then completed a Child Development Associate credential; she said she now works as a preschool teacher and credited the program with increasing her confidence.

Hendrickson summarized community education, saying the department offers more than 100 seasonal courses, three catalogs a year distributed to roughly 17,000 residents, and about 2,500 adult registrations annually. Course topics range from arts and wellness to technology and aging-related classes; Hendrickson cited partnerships with local museums, the county extension office, Alexandria Technical & Community College and local businesses.

Board members asked about funding and parent outreach. Fitec said ABE enrollment increased (she cited a 16% increase in contact hours) and that the district’s ABE budget increased accordingly. Board members and staff discussed outreach and possible parent education to increase adoption of family-facing digital tools offered by the district.

Ending: The board took no formal action on the presentations. Staff said more program detail, and the ABE five-year narrative, are available on the district website and by request.","District staff presented adult basic education and community education programs, describing regional partnerships, program enrollment and contact hours, workforce connections and community enrichment offerings.","actionData","errors"]

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Transportation department reports driver shortage, route adjustments and Woodland transfer pilot

Alexandria ABE and community education presenters highlight year of expanding services