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District transportation director reports STARS ridership, funding and driver needs
Summary
Interim transportation director Aaron West told the Port Angeles School District board the department carried about 1,873 students on the ridership count day, traveled roughly 327,000 miles last year and received an OSPI allocation of $2,002,958.65; he urged more driver recruitment ahead of next school year.
Interim transportation director Aaron West told the Port Angeles School District board on May 8 that the district’s bus operation is on pace for a full year of service similar to last year’s roughly 327,000 miles and that state funding for transportation this year totaled $2,002,958.65.
West said the department counted 1,873 riders on its chosen ridership count day and, after excluding very short trips, calculated 1,839 riders for funding purposes. The department runs 20 AM/PM routes and five midday routes, including 14 regular and six special‑needs routes.
West told the board that field trips and afternoon travel will keep mileage high next year and that driver recruitment is the department’s primary operational need: he described the daily work of drivers and mechanics and asked the community to help recruit substitute drivers to avoid service gaps when drivers are on trips.
Board members praised drivers and mechanics and noted the importance of transportation to student access; one board member read an excerpt of a student letter praising a longtime driver’s positive impact on a student’s day. No formal board action was required; the report was informational.
West closed by thanking the transportation team and encouraging the public to consider employment as bus drivers or substitutes. The district also noted that field‑trip mileage and bus routing will continue to be monitored when finalizing next year’s budget and routes.
