Director: West Valley transportation ran all routes this year, seeks three more buses and more substitutes

Jamie Schmidt, director of transportation for West Valley School District, told the board on April 22 that the district ran its scheduled routes all year without cancellation and is approaching pre-COVID ridership levels.

Schmidt said the district transports an average of about 3,552 students daily, operates 86 general-education routes, 24 special-education routes, six preschool/transitional-kindergarten routes and nine McKinney-Vento (homeless) routes added this year. The fleet includes 50 buses and seven motor-pool vehicles; the district took delivery of one full-size bus and one special-needs pre-K bus this year and plans to order three additional 84-passenger buses pending board approval.

Schmidt outlined staffing and training: 36 contracted bus drivers and six contracted substitute drivers; a larger sub pool developed through an in-district training pipeline; Glenda Berry serves as the district’s state-certified driver trainer and leads monthly safety meetings; Mike McIntosh is shop foreman and lead mechanic and Chance Dixon is a mechanic; Debbie Boyle coordinates door-to-door services for special needs, McKinney-Vento and early-learning routes; Rachel Bennett was introduced as the department secretary handling payroll, accounts and parent communications; and Michelle Stapleton is the discipline liaison and a state-certified driver trainer.

She said the transportation department completes three ridership counts per year for OSPI reporting and reports the latitude/longitude of every bus stop for the state efficiency calculation. Schmidt said the department’s efficiency rating (reported as a percentage in the meeting) is strong for the district.

Safety and student behavior programs were highlighted: Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) remains in place on buses; drivers make one to two “wow” calls weekly to parents to share positive behavior; the district recognizes riders of the week/month; and bus helpers accompany some students to reduce on-bus disruptions.

Schmidt described recent and new community activities led by drivers, including trunk-or-treat events and lighted buses in Christmas parades, and said drivers contributed personal time and decorations. She also described operational improvements for safety and traffic on campus through staggered shuttles and route adjustments that reduced crowding at release times.

On McKinney-Vento routes, Schmidt said the district moved some students from contracted regional transportation (ESD 105) into in-district routes as driver availability increased; she estimated about 35–45 students currently ride those routes and said the district receives funding for those riders.

Schmidt asked the board to consider a memo authorizing the purchase of three additional large buses and said she would prepare the memo for approval.

Board members asked questions about inspections and the winter inspection schedule, driver longevity and the department’s ability to cover long-term leaves; Schmidt said long-term leaves affected six contracted drivers this year but the district was able to cover routes through its substitute pool.

Schmidt said drivers often arrive early—on snow days she said she leaves home at about 3 a.m.—and praised the transportation staff for their longevity and dedication.