Schmidy & Sons details routing, special‑education service and electric bus in Lakeville contract presentation

Schmidy & Sons representatives presented the district’s transportation report March 11, describing a four‑tier routing system that the company said allows fewer buses to serve more schools, curb‑to‑curb special‑education service, charter operations and an early‑adopter battery electric school bus in daily service.

The presentation, given to the Lakeville Public School District Board of Education, explained how pairing start times and staggered routes let the district operate a four‑tier schedule in which a portion of the fleet serves up to four schools in sequence. Presenter Mike Forbord, identified as a Schmidy & Sons representative, said the company runs 56 full‑size (Class C) routes and 56 special‑education routes, “transport roughly, 8 to 9,000 students a day,” and travels “over 10,000 miles, every day.”

Why it matters: district routing, fleet size and special‑education transport practices shape student ride times, staffing needs, capital replacement plans and emergency preparedness. Board members asked about long elementary ride times, behavior supports on buses, substitute‑driver information and the effect of adding a new elementary school on routes.

Key points from the presentation and board discussion: - Four‑tier system and route counts: Schmidy & Sons described a four‑tier schedule that uses fewer routes by reusing buses across multiple school start times; 16 of the 56 buses serve all four tiers. The presenter said switching to a conventional two‑tier schedule would require “30 more buses” minimum to cover Lakeville’s student population. - Ride times and geography: Some elementary route times can reach 45–60 minutes because of distance to rural stops (Lake Marion had a 60‑minute example). The company said it tries to limit routes to around 60 minutes and to pair shorter routes to reduce service gaps. - Special‑education service: Schmidy & Sons said it operates curb‑to‑curb special‑education routes for more than 600 students; many special‑education routes include an aide and some students require wheelchair or walker accommodations. The company said driver route notes include student needs so substitute drivers have the same information. - Behavior and safety: Drivers receive annual evaluations, monthly safety meetings and regular load counts. The district’s principals attend Schmidy & Sons’ start‑of‑year safety meeting to align expectations. The company described positive behavior reinforcement ("proud plot" tickets) and said principals may request video when incidents occur. - Charters and fleet: Schmidy & Sons operates a separate charter fleet and ran nearly 1,200 charter trips last year; on busy elementary event days the company uses to‑and‑from buses to support large field‑trip movements. - Electric bus pilot: Schmidy & Sons operates a 2018 E‑Lion battery electric Class C bus, described as the first in the Upper Midwest; the bus serves Lakeville South, McGuire and JFK and averages about 80 miles a day. The presenter said the company partners with Great River Energy and Dakota Electric on the project and that the technology “has its pluses and minuses” but can be a good fit for prescribed to‑and‑from routes.

Board questions and follow‑up items: - Director Baker asked whether the four‑tier system produced cost savings; the presenter replied that fewer routes mean fewer buses and estimated a two‑tier conversion would require about 30 additional buses. - Baker also asked whether the district or company tracks behavior incidents by route length; the presenter said driver familiarity with long‑route students often reduces behavior issues and that monitors or aides are assigned based on need rather than strictly by route length. - Director Baker asked how student medical or disability information is communicated; the presenter described route notes and special‑education documentation that drivers and substitutes receive and said the district’s safety meetings reinforce handling such situations.

No formal board action on transportation was recorded in the transcript; the presentation concluded with an invitation for board members to tour garages and attend safety meetings.