Superintendent Dr. Howard updated the board on transportation at the start of the school year, saying the district had planned (routed) service for 3,700 students and that current ridership is about 3,100, a shortfall that allows transportation staff to refine routes. "At the start of every year in districts everywhere, there are challenges on the first few days with transportation. And we will continue to adjust and tweak our processes to be efficient as possible," Dr. Howard said.
He praised drivers and mechanics for preparations before routes began and described routine safety checks: drivers perform pre-trip walkarounds and bus inspections daily. He recognized Todd Amos and the office team for route organization and named Aaron Thompson as lead mechanic and an assistant, Carrie, for fleet maintenance work; he said the district’s fleet is in good shape and passes annual inspections.
Dr. Howard said the district is constrained by driver capacity and would welcome more drivers to expand services. He also described how Creekview elementary manages limited bus staging space by dismissing buses in waves and calling students to load in an ordered manner so buses are loaded safely and leave on time.
No formal board action was required on transportation during the discussion, though the superintendent noted the board must approve routes and services prior to the start of the school year, as required by district practice and driver capacity.
What happens next: Transportation staff will continue to adjust routes and recruit drivers to expand service where feasible.