Dean Transportation reports steady on-time performance, plans electric buses and pilot camera rollout

Dean Transportation presented a quarterly operations update to the Grand Rapids Public Schools Board of Education on March 3, reporting stable on-time performance, technology pilots and progress on an electric school-bus project.

The update included performance metrics, technology pilots and recruitment plans. “As far as on time this quarter remain virtually the same,” Operations Director Kevin Harkness told the board, and later summarized the monthly on-time rate as “pretty steady right around the 93 to ish percent.” He said that seasonal weather produced a small dip in January but that the district’s on-time results were improved compared with the same period last year.

The company said it completed about 1,500 field trips so far this school year and that customer contacts recorded on an online feedback form fell from roughly 45–50 calls per week at the start of the year to about one or two a week in recent weeks.

A technology pilot includes 10 buses equipped with new camera systems. “I can assure you those are done. We have 10 camera systems on the bus ready to go,” Harkness said, adding the district and Dean are drafting an internal chain-of-command process for requesting video that will account for student-record and privacy…