Transportation director details compound upgrades, fleet changes and staffing strain

Robert Sundberg provided a transportation update to the Deer Creek Board of Education outlining compound upgrades, fleet purchases and staffing constraints.

Sundberg said the district constructed an expanded bus parking area that still requires lighting and Wi‑Fi before full use, and added a new fuel section that will separate gasoline and diesel fueling. “We will also be adding a couple more tanks to help with our gas sites,” he said. He said the district is shifting to more gasoline buses and away from diesel in part because of maintenance costs.

“The diesel buses are costing us a fortune in maintenance, repairs,” Sundberg told the board, describing higher repair and emissions‑related component costs on diesel models compared with newer gasoline buses. He said the district added seven large buses this year, will add four special‑education lift buses next year, and expects delivery of a previously ordered special‑education bus within about three weeks.

Sundberg also described continued improvements to routing software (MyRide K‑12) and said the platform now updates weekly; the change resolved earlier problems with late‑start schedules. He described staff capacity constraints: two commercial driver’s license positions were open at the time of the meeting and the district has been operating with about nine regular drivers on many days. Asked what happens if more personnel are out, Sundberg said staff are working alternate plans, including combining nearby routes and asking staff from other departments or schools to fill in when necessary.

Board members pressed on contingency planning for illness and weather. Sundberg said the district had been close to cancellations earlier in the winter and relied on volunteers, including school staff, to operate routes on days when absences spiked. He said the CDL testing process recently eased, which may help recruiting.