Several current Judson ISD transportation employees urged the board to intervene after changes under new department leadership, saying sudden reassignments and reductions in overtime and summer hours left some staff without expected pay and disrupted operations.

Ian Avery, who identified himself as a transportation employee and parent, said a newly hired director brought policies mirroring the director’s former district and that some staff were told they would not work in July despite having worked those summer positions for multiple prior years. Avery said one team member’s cancer‑related absences were initially treated as excessive despite FMLA protections and were only corrected after staff protested.

Other transportation employees described long days covering routes and then being singled out for overtime reductions; a few recounted being reassigned from specialized jobs (routing, field‑trip associate, technician, parts clerk, driver trainer) without performance reviews and then told those jobs would be “as‑needed” or rotated, leaving them without the duties or pay they had previously relied on.

Principal concerns raised included: nine new buses not being put into service because of staffing and assignment changes; workstation or system access being removed; and a terminal supervisor allegedly telling staff that the district was not responsible for employees’ spending habits if overtime was reduced. Several speakers asked the board to examine the new leadership’s decisions and to restore communication and predictable assignments.

Transportation Director Earl Stewart responded during public comment that three procurement line items on the board’s over‑$50,000 agenda covered repairs, parts and multiple transportation software systems (routing and student tracking). He said repairs includes out‑of‑shop bodywork and collision repairs, parts include routine and major vehicle parts and engines, and the technology line covers routing software, passenger tracking and cameras; he pledged to report further on repair trends and new buses.

Trustees did not take immediate personnel action during the meeting but approved the transportation purchases that administration said the department needs for the coming year.