Stafford school transportation reports staffing gains, opt‑in routing rollout and driver discipline reforms

Stafford County school transportation leaders reported staffing increases, an opt‑in routing rollout for 2025–26 and several operational changes intended to improve communication, driver support and student safety.

At the June 10 board meeting, transportation staff said the division closed the 2024–25 school year supporting 243 routes — 166 mainstream and 77 special‑needs routes — and concluded the year with 265 bus drivers and 76 attendants. The department reported 17 driver candidates and six new attendant trainees in summer training. “We actually have 17 candidates or bus driver candidates actually in training,” the department said, and staff described lower-than‑normal resignations and ongoing recruiting.

The department summarized three operational priorities: expand staffing and dispatch capacity (including adding a dispatch coordinator effective July 1), improve targeted communications with families and frontline staff, and streamline routing and intake for students with disabilities. Transportation staff also described a multi‑part “transportation enhancement plan” responding to a consultant review and internal surveys. Short‑term steps include improved templates, more training, digitization of special‑needs intake (TR‑1 form), and greater use of push notifications through the MyRide app.

Staff reported progress on the opt‑in routing process: 29,717 active PreK–11 students had recorded a morning/afternoon selection by May 31, with 5,640 students opting out of morning bus service and 5,224 opting out of afternoon routes. Staff said the data import from Synergy to the routing system began the night before the meeting and the division will continue routing through July; families should be able to view their opt‑in selection in ParentVUE on July 1, receive a route assignment July 29, and drivers will begin mandatory practice runs in August. The department said its goal is to publish route information to families on July 29 and begin driver assignments and practice runs before school opens.

Bus behavior and discipline were a major focus. Transportation staff said the department recorded 1,699 bus referrals in 2024–25 and acknowledged drivers’ concerns that they sometimes do not receive confirmation that campus staff addressed a referred incident. Presenters said they are closing that feedback loop with more structured follow‑up: clarifying what incidents merit driver‑level intervention, formalizing procedures for safe roadside stops and coordinator support, and asking campuses to acknowledge receipt and action when referrals are submitted so drivers know the situation has been addressed. The board and drivers also discussed privacy constraints that limit how much detail schools can share about disciplinary outcomes, but staff said drivers will be told if a student has been removed from bus privileges or otherwise restricted.

Parents and a student speaker described recurring technical and coverage problems with the MyRide tracking app; the student said the app “kept me locked out” and did not reliably show the bus location in some neighborhoods. Transportation staff acknowledged cell coverage limits and said the app cannot yet auto‑push targeted late notices for a single route; the department said it will study whether the routing app can send localized notifications and will work to improve enrollment and app reliability.

Why it matters: The opt‑in routing model and the department’s emphasis on driver feedback aim to reduce inefficient routes, improve on‑time performance and give drivers clearer signals that referrals have been handled. Parents and drivers told the board the changes are welcome but need more reliable communication tools and assurances around safety procedures.