Gloucester County schools cut bus fleet and routes; transportation director seeks funds for replacement buses and higher driver pay

Gloucester County Public Schools has reduced its bus fleet and routes since 2019 and is seeking county support to replace aging vehicles and retain drivers, the school division’s transportation director told the Board of Supervisors.

Tanya Decker, the division’s director of transportation, said when she took the job in 2019 the district operated 118 buses on about 110 daily routes with 126 employees. She said the fleet now totals 76 buses, routes have been optimized to about 68 and staff have fallen to 98 employees — a reduction Decker attributed to vehicle consolidation, a two‑tier bell schedule and process changes.

Decker told supervisors grants and funding of “a little over $3,900,000” have been used since 2019 to purchase buses and communications equipment. She said those grants funded 19 buses and upgrades including bus patrol camera systems, GPS and Motorola radio communications, which staff say reduced the time to locate missing or misrouted students from as much as 47 minutes to four to six minutes.

The division is requesting approximately $1,300,000 for new buses in the coming fiscal year. Decker estimated a modern 77‑passenger school bus costs about $166,000–$168,000; at current prices $1.3 million would purchase roughly eight buses, she said. The district is also seeking funds to replace and modernize non‑CDL “white fleet” vans used for low‑density routes and special programs; those vehicles are aging and parts are increasingly expensive.

Board members asked about driver pay and recruitment. Decker said Gloucester’s starting wage is $18 per hour and that a competitive starting rate in nearby localities can be $20–$21. She urged the board to keep driver pay competitive to retain staff, warning that the removal of the Coleman Bridge toll will remove a geographic barrier to cross‑jurisdictional competition for employees.

Supervisors pressed on walk zones, parking and vehicle choices for outlying routes. Decker said Gloucester currently does not have a walk zone; establishing one would require a board determination and safe pathways, and could require crossing guards and associated compensation.

On fleet strategy, Decker said 77‑passenger buses are more fuel‑efficient and flexible for athletics and other trips, while vans reduce fuel and staffing costs on low‑density routes and avoid the need for CDL drivers. She said older 2013–2015 model buses account for a disproportionate share of repair and maintenance costs and argued for a replacement program that balances buses and minivans based on route density.

The transportation briefing followed extensive public comment to the board about county infrastructure and budgets, including repeated pleas from residents that water and sewer systems be prioritized over new projects. Decker’s presentation noted the transportation department had made service and efficiency gains without compromising daily service levels.

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