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District struggles with driver shortage, SPED routes and summer heat; committee to improve routing and communication
Summary
Transport officials reported a shortage of drivers, routing stress and limited air-conditioned vehicles as the district balances neighborhood, optional-program and special-education runs.
Salt Lake City School District transportation officials told the board on Oct. 21 that driver shortages, route complexity and vehicle limitations are creating reliability and safety concerns that the department is addressing with new processes and technology.
Ken Martinez, transportation director, and Isaac Gastel, executive director of auxiliary services, described the district's current system: 72 routes supporting 161 morning/afternoon runs and an annual budget in the $7'8 million range. The department has added some magnet and optional-program runs this year to increase access; Ken said most routes run at roughly half capacity or more, but ridership varies daily.
Driver shortage and staffing: Officials said the district is short about five drivers and that staff sometimes use mechanics or office staff to fill runs. Martinez described recruitment and retention challenges: many drivers prefer full-time contracts…
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