Peninsula transportation chief reports zero student-injury accidents, 1.22 million miles and staffing strain

Donette Wright, the district’s director of transportation, told the Peninsula School District Board of Directors on Oct. 21 that the transportation department logged more than 1.21 million miles last school year and recorded zero accidents that resulted in student injury.

Wright said the department drove 1,086,554 miles on regular to-and-from routes and added 131,800 miles for trips and athletics, for a grand total of 1,218,350 miles. She told the board the system transported nearly 4,000 students daily to about 2,197 bus stops and used 61 contracted drivers and 13 substitutes on the roster.

The presentation focused on staffing, fleet replacement, new routing technology, fuel and maintenance savings from propane buses, and the ongoing operating deficit compared with state STARS funding.

Why it matters: Transportation is a core district function that both affects student attendance and carries significant recurring costs. The department’s operational choices — vehicle replacements, fuel type, routing software and driver recruiting — influence annual budgets, service…