[{"_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",6426955,"mediaKeyId","5887483-53fe8e523da678fda983b5dbb7d8eea6","parentId",5887483,"title","Bossier Parish transportation director reports driver shortages, absenteeism and fleet status","audioSeconds",2751,"startMs",0,"endMs",2751780,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5887483-53fe8e523da678fda983b5dbb7d8eea6&start=0&end=2751","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5887483-53fe8e523da678fda983b5dbb7d8eea6/thumbnail_0.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6426955/Louisiana/Bossier-Parish-transportation-director-reports-driver-shortages-absenteeism-and-fleet-status","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6426955-a400b4840171aad47111ab964722e95f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775095453&Signature=Iri~VYQWD873RMJfcxlwqUJvM8BfcybxLtah6rd6YQ9XYrBgQ~r-CEfXmTwdYlHBZ6JWow3GK8mJAW~BwIBXYCHDbxKBlBeJweCo3VHI5B9CDhZ-hGRemSx93TbaE6-FPEWD-0sejB9Nrxnl-gAiOdgfNYZ3fMG~reEeSJ1OfWL0I7eM4uf17Xod3-XSl0kDsAKAxCSpw7wkdHMOxjsQaFfPaNv-6krqFDAqiFNlayo9OoJs0LRXtj6XAQ96K1Mr~0Cvq-Xshz7Ej1QHIbzyKYoESOnlAmLtfiNI0WHlCurhViWsgPEoh1BGxvvx~qRzIFJ0E0GsyMclM~PcrbW0Nw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bossier Parish School Board, LA","date","2025-10-02T23:19:08Z","article","Aaron McGee, director of transportation for Bossier Parish, told the Parish School Board Transportation Committee that driver absenteeism and an aging fleet are the department’s top challenges as it carries students to and from school.

McGee reported the department ran 426 field trips as of the day before the meeting and now operates 223 daily routes that transport about 13,259 students each school day. He said the department currently employs 190 full-time bus operators, with 13 routes staffed by activity drivers and six routes covered by long-term substitutes. McGee said the department has held two driver training classes this year with 37 trainees; seven of those trainees are driving now and 14 others are still progressing through training.

“That’s our number one priority. And they have to help us out with this,” McGee said, describing the strain on regular drivers who must cover other routes when colleagues are absent.

McGee said absenteeism has forced the department to implement emergency routing plans 173 times this year, involving 139 drivers; 11 drivers have covered extra runs more than 10 times, and one driver had covered other routes on 38 different days. McGee said the department covers most absences with internal ER plans rather than outside substitutes because there are not enough available substitute drivers.

The department’s maintenance shop is fully staffed, McGee said, and the parish recently purchased a larger service truck to perform on-site repairs and repurposed an older truck for tire service to reduce downtime following tire failures. Shop foreman Mark Fielding joined McGee at the meeting and was offered by McGee as the point person for mechanical questions.

McGee also highlighted personnel changes and training. The department hired Coach Trey Wynn to coordinate field trips and serve as a facilitator. Marcus McElveen, previously a driver and a “gold star winner,” was moved into a front-office router position, and Chuck McBee was hired as a full-time router. McGee said Shelly Chamberlain was selected by the State of Louisiana as one of nine master instructors for CDL training and will train other CDL instructors.

McGee described community partnerships that reuse retired buses. He said the department provided three deleted buses to the Bossier City Fire Department in exchange for training services for students in fire classes; the firefighters will use the buses for vehicle-extrication and evacuation drills.

Superintendent Roland and committee members said they were concerned about the absenteeism figures and offered their willingness to help. Committee members raised operational concerns, including longer ride times and confusion for parents when routes are combined during ER plans.

McGee noted that the parish recently learned it must have AB-trained fuel tank operators on site and that he and Fielding became certified to avoid fines. He said the department is seeking suggestions from drivers and the community for ways to reduce absenteeism and make the job more attractive.

The information was presented as background before the committee considered proposals for bus purchases funded from the fiscal year 2027 general fund.

Ending: McGee told the committee the department will continue recruiting and training and will seek operational changes to reduce the burden on existing drivers while the board considers funding for new, air-conditioned buses to address driver working conditions and fleet reliability.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BPSB Transportation Committee Meeting - 10/2/25","oneSentenceSummary","Director Aaron McGee told the Bossier Parish School Board Transportation Committee that absenteeism among bus drivers is the department’s biggest operational challenge, and provided fleet and staffing figures as officials consider bus purchases.","taxTitle","Bossier Parish, School Boards, Louisiana","taxId",13132,"location","Louisiana","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},6426950,"Bossier Parish committee approves purchase of 12 buses to replace aging fleet, unanimous vote",789,1884320,2674234,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5887483-53fe8e523da678fda983b5dbb7d8eea6&start=1884&end=2674","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5887483-53fe8e523da678fda983b5dbb7d8eea6/thumbnail_1884320.jpg","/articles/6426950/Louisiana/Bossier-Parish-committee-approves-purchase-of-12-buses-to-replace-aging-fleet-unanimous-vote","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6426950-c6ac54b0191b5c12cacf47e5f278ff96/orig.mp4?Expires=1775095453&Signature=Ek9wYW2eADYGcFzAgsRHl2jFd~669eVnhcbN6bp2Xc0QYxaN2Fhc0H2ycP8GWr~GWkV0Fzi84G2fHoNo2RiJfs3okljEfyzpT4tS-anh3VLVAMweoCpusfboP-i1~xii3yBPAiUzH4C9B1dg8zeXbdnkJLGJsGnFKbdZaJ1GgoI9XBay-1G-HusLW3NyBO8HKtlPOmotqQYRXa3PTRn7w3MfDv9sofjrvkmZHDVLeNd~GaXk4VouyWclOqM8DKywY4JdWgsOAJz0hJ3CcA6xxs2~CFWwZTmykDuB8sN-i8KBNZ5Wzs5~LnujbL1jougnTLKKTT53d16lbziCM8MJ1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bossier Parish School Board Transportation Committee voted unanimously to approve Proposal 1, authorizing the purchase of 12 new 77‑passenger buses — 10 regular route buses and 2 special-education (SPED) non-lift buses — for a combined price of $1,769,720.82, to be funded from the fiscal year 2027 general fund.

Director Aaron McGee told the committee the proposal would buy six buses from Plyler International in Shreveport and six from Ross Bus Sales in Alexandria so the district can compare manufacturer performance on fuel mileage, parts availability, driver experience and service turnaround. “We want to do a true comparison between the two buses to see which bus gives Bossier Parish the best return on investment,” McGee said.

McGee said the purchase would allow the district to place air-conditioned buses on all regular routes this year (excluding two snub-nosed routes), reduce the age of the active fleet and shrink the number of older, non‑air‑conditioned buses in service. He said the oldest buses currently on daily routes date to 2006 and that, if the proposal is approved, the oldest on-route bus would be a 2011 model.

Committee discussion referenced rising bus prices: McGee said SPED buses rose from about $150,000 last year to an average quoted price of about $165,050 for a 77-passenger SPED bus with a lift; non-SPED route buses rose from about $134,000 to $144,000; and MSAB (activity) buses increased from about $160,000 to about $161,000. McGee presented multi-year purchase history showing the parish bought roughly 10 route buses annually from 2015 through 2022, then reduced purchases in recent years while starting the MSAB activity-bus program.

McGee described a past breakdown in which a contractor-certified mechanic said a bus was serviceable but later the district could not get support or a loaner bus, forcing the district to borrow a bus from Assumption Parish to complete a playoff trip. That service experience was cited by McGee and board members as a reason to split the current order across two vendors.

Board members discussed three purchase options presented by staff. Proposal 1 (the approved option) buys 12 buses for $1,769,720.82; Proposal 2 would continue the recent smaller purchases (three route buses, one SPED and three MSAB buses) at a lower cost but would slow progress toward a fully air‑conditioned route fleet; and Proposal 3 (discussed but not advanced) was not favored by several board members because it emphasized additional MSAB purchases rather than replacing older route buses.

A board member and an ex officio committee member each said there are approximately 30 buses in the fleet that are 20 years old or older, a figure the director and staff said was a key reason to accelerate replacements now rather than defer and face a large, concentrated retirement cost later.

A motion to accept Proposal 1 was made and seconded on the record; the committee Chair called for a voice vote and the motion passed unanimously. The transcript does not record individual roll-call votes or the numeric vote count.

Ending: The board authorized staff to proceed with the purchase, split between the two vendors, to reduce fleet age and increase the number of air-conditioned route buses prior to the next school year.","The Transportation Committee approved Proposal 1 to buy 12 new 77-passenger buses (10 route, 2 SPED non-lift) for $1,769,720.82 from two vendors to compare long-term performance; funding was identified from the fiscal year 2027 general fund.","actionData","errors"]

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Bossier Parish transportation director reports driver shortages, absenteeism and fleet status

Bossier Parish committee approves purchase of 12 buses to replace aging fleet, unanimous vote