Coachella Valley Unified School District presented a transportation department restructuring plan May 20 that officials said would reduce costs and improve on-time service by creating new routing and fleet oversight roles while eliminating several positions.

The presentation, led by Cindy Maldonado, the district transportation presenter, said transportation expenses rose to over $17,000,000 in fiscal year 2024–25 while student enrollment declined to 15,891. The plan proposes adding a routing coordinator, two fleet coordinators (AM and PM), an accounting assistant and two fleet coordinators to provide real-time shop oversight, while eliminating 13 bus driver positions and removing the lead mechanic position. The district said the changes and process realignments are expected to save “over $1,000,000” compared with current costs.

The plan also includes deploying a bus-tracking app and entering summer routes into the new system as a testing phase; officials said the routing coordinator would oversee 141 routes (83 during the school year, 58 in summer) and manage the new app.

Board members pressed the administration on operational details and accountability. Trustee [first reference] Trustee Gonzales raised specific concerns about fuel usage, saying the district spent about $1.8 million on fuel this year and noting that until recently the district lacked camera and tighter controls to monitor fueling and timecard use. He urged immediate implementation of safeguards to prevent misuse.

Trustee O'Queen and others urged that the reorganization include stronger supervisory accountability and clear evaluation procedures so new roles produce sustained improvements rather than short-term change. Cindy Maldonado and district staff said they are working with the interim director, Armando, to train staff on the new routing system and to add summer routes for pilot testing. District staff also said the accounting assistant role would review payroll and daily logs to improve accuracy.

District officials said the mechanic shop has been impeded by inaccurate parts inventory and process issues, and the proposed fleet coordinators would provide closer shop supervision to reduce downtime and get more buses back into service.

No formal board action was taken on the restructuring at the meeting; the presentation was informational and staff said they would continue implementation steps and training over the summer.

The board asked that the district return with follow-up reports on: timeline for full routing app rollout, number of students transported, fuel-control measures being implemented, and how supervisory roles will be held accountable through evaluations and process checks.

Ending: The district framed the reorganization as a response to rising transportation costs and service disruptions; trustees said they support improvements in safety and reliability but want clearer accountability, tighter fuel controls and periodic progress reports before finalizing major staffing or system changes.