Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District updates board on bus service problems; company not using promised GPS tracking, rebid under consideration
Summary
District staff updated the board on regular education transportation problems under the current contractor, reporting progress on some issues but noting continued gaps, missed uses of promised GPS tracking, charter no-shows and possible rebid discussions.
District staff provided an update on regular education transportation performance under the district’s contractor (referred to in the meeting as Safeway), reporting improvements in recent weeks but ongoing problems with late buses, unfilled routes and substitute drivers.
The staff presentation said the district held informational sessions for families on Aug. 29 with about 45 attendees. At the start of the school year the district reported roughly five routes without a consistent driver and a high reliance on substitute drivers; by the report date staff said they believed one route remained consistently inconsistent and that charter coverage for after‑school activities had at times not been covered.
Staff told the board they had been pressing the vendor for improved communication when routes are running late and requested that the vendor update the “Here Comes the Bus” / routing app when a bus swap or mechanical substitution occurs so families can track buses; the district said it does not have backend access to update the app itself because that control rests with the transportation company and its software vendor.
Board members asked whether the district intended to stay with the contractor for the full year. Staff said they were “having conversations” about options and that a decision about whether to go out to rebid would likely come near the end of the calendar year. A board member asked whether the vendor had been using the GPS systems that had been promised; staff replied, “They are not using the GPSs that are in the buses, as was promised to us. So, no, they're using route sheets.”
On charter no-shows, staff said the district does not pay the contractor when contracted charter buses fail to appear for scheduled activities. The report also noted increased coordination with the vendor’s assigned manager and ongoing efforts to recruit permanent drivers for inconsistent routes. Staff said they would continue to communicate proactively with families and work with the vendor to improve notification practices.
No formal contract termination or rebid decision was recorded; staff indicated the board would revisit vendor decisions after further discussion and monitoring.
