District explains freshman transportation to new satellite center; trustees ask about hubs and timing

The board heard details on bus routes for the 2025–26 school year and the planned transportation approach for the new ninth-grade satellite center. Michelle Knezovich, assistant director of transportation, explained the plan: half of the freshmen on one side of town will use existing high-school bus routes, which will continue from their usual high-school drop-off to the satellite so students can be transported without creating extra buses. Staff said the arrangement mirrors the district’s current practice of transporting students from Black Butte High School to the main campus when necessary. Trustees asked how the plan affects travel times and instructional minutes. Transportation staff said buses will continue to run on regular high-school pickup schedules; arriving at the satellite center will add roughly 10 minutes after the high-school drop-off in some routes but will not cut into instructional time because school start times provide the needed buffer. At dismissal, district staff will run shuttle buses from the satellite to the high-school routes so students can board their regular home buses without creating additional parent drop-off congestion in the school area. Board members and staff also discussed the district’s work to identify neighborhood “hubs” — closer pick-up locations — that could reduce travel and parent drop-off traffic in busy school areas; staff said those hub decisions are still under development and that principals and transportation will continue to refine stops before school begins. Why it matters: Operational decisions about transportation affect student arrival times, parent drop-off congestion, staffing of routes and the student experience for freshmen assigned to a satellite campus. Trustees requested continued updates on hub planning and arrival/dismissal timing before the school year begins.