Lewisville ISD board approves creation of in-house transportation department, votes 7-0

The Lewisville ISD Board of Trustees voted 7–0 to establish a district-operated transportation department to oversee school bus logistics beginning with the 2025–26 school year. The motion was moved by Ms. LaSalle; a second was requested on the record but not explicitly named in the transcript. The motion text presented to the board read: "I move that the board approve the establishment of a transportation department within Lewisville ISD to oversee and run bus transportation logistics beginning with the 2025–26 school year as recommended by administration." The chair announced, "All those in favor. That vote carries 7 zeros."

District administrators recommended bringing transportation in-house after concluding that continuing a contract with external providers would require larger budget increases than an in-house transition. The administration said the FY25 transportation budget is approximately $16,000,000 and reported the district receives about $3,500,000 from the state for bus service. Administration estimated that continuing with a contract provider would have required a $3–5 million budget increase to cover costs and wage adjustments; by contrast, bringing services in-house was estimated to require about a $2,000,000 increase. Administrators also noted LISD has purchased its bus fleet (286 buses), which they said would ease a transition.

As part of the in-house plan, the district recommended raising bus driver starting pay to $23 per hour. The proposed starting pay for bus monitors was discussed but the transcript did not specify an exact hourly amount. Administrators said Texas Central (the current contractor) would continue to provide buses for summer programs while the district executes the transition; the current contract was described as expiring July 30. The administration said staffing announcements and job postings would begin immediately and that a budget amendment for FY25 would be presented to the board in June to fund start-up costs.

Trustees asked about operational details, contingency planning and employee benefits. Board members and staff discussed the potential for increased efficiency in routing and the need to ensure drivers feel "welcomed" as district employees. Administrators said they were assessing pay frequency and benefits integration (including teacher retirement system eligibility) and would provide more detail at a May 5 work session and in a June update. Dana Chandler, introduced at the meeting as the newly hired director of transportation, was presented as the point person to lead the transition and to host informational sessions for prospective employees.

Why this matters: transportation is a major district expense and directly affects families and staff. The board’s decision begins a multi-month operational transition, including recruitment, payroll and routing changes and a planned budget amendment.