Kyrene board hears transportation staffing strains, approves purchase of 10 non‑CDL passenger buses

Kyrene Elementary District officials told the governing board on Oct. 14 that a long‑running shortage of school bus drivers, changing bell‑schedule tiers and traffic disruptions on routes to Maricopa are forcing adjustments to routing and fleet strategy, and the board approved buying 10 smaller non‑CDL passenger buses to ease staffing pressure.

The presentation from Chief Financial Officer Chris Sherman and Transportation Director Michelle Parmley outlined three facts central to the situation: the district has reduced driver positions over the last decade as miles driven fell, state transportation funding is calculated by miles driven ("for the current 25‑26, that's $3.01 per mile," Sherman said), and traffic and construction on State Route 347 and other corridors are lengthening some out‑of‑district trips to as long as 1 hour 45 minutes.

The transportation director gave the most detailed account of operational strain. "We have 56 positions. We have 45 filled," Michelle Parmley said, adding that the district employs 34 CDL drivers directly and 11 contract drivers from third‑party agencies. Parmley said current strategies include rolling routes at several middle schools, consolidating stops, deploying core office staff to answer calls and radio traffic, a continuing $2‑per‑hour driver stipend, and quarterly attendance stipends that she credited with reducing daily callouts from an average of eight per day last year to less than one per day this year.

Parmley described a proposed shift that the district views as a near‑term remedy: purchasing 15‑passenger, non‑CDL vehicles (MicroBirds) to carry up to 14 students each for the district's Exceptional Student Services (ESS) routes. The buses have the same safety features the district requires — three‑point harnesses, amber and red lights — but can be driven without a commercial driver's license. Parmley said several existing employees have volunteered to drive these vehicles and that the plan should reduce reliance on more costly contract drivers.

She also outlined operational changes the district will pilot or expand: centralized stops for middle school students to reduce neighborhood stop counts; an opt‑in routing feature to route only students who confirm they will ride, allowing initial routing to match demand more closely; development of program boundaries for ESS aligned to middle school feeder patterns; and ongoing route consolidation. Parmley said the district currently transports roughly 300 out‑of‑district students (Baseline Corridor and Maricopa) and that those routes are especially vulnerable to construction delays in Maricopa.

Superintendent Loris Tenas told the board that start and end times and tier assignments would not be proposed by staff before the board takes any final action on closures or boundary changes, and that any proposed bell schedule or tier changes would be presented no earlier than January. She cautioned that rerunning routes and timelines after final board action would take weeks and that implementation of any long‑range plan would be phased over two years.

On the consent agenda later in the meeting, the board voted 5–0 to approve the district's use of Mohave Educational Services Cooperative contract 23DCSBSO905 to purchase 10 new student transportation buses. Member Buddy Davis moved approval and Member Cedric Collins seconded; the motion passed unanimously.

District officials said the smaller buses are expected to be less expensive than standard full‑size buses and would be used first for ESS routes with possible future use for limited athletic shuttles. Parmley said the vehicles are due to be delivered after vendor specification revisions and that she hoped to deploy them within the school year.

Officials also flagged constraints and next steps: construction along SR‑347 and local road projects in Maricopa will complicate timing and travel; the opt‑in model will require comprehensive communication to families during enrollment; and any rerouting tied to school closures or boundary changes will be preceded by proposals to the board.

The board did not take additional policy action on transportation beyond the vehicle purchase vote. Members asked for follow‑up data on out‑of‑district utilization rates, projected driver gaps under the district's long‑range plan, and an updated communications plan for the opt‑in feature.

Votes at a glance: Approval to use Mohave Educational Services Cooperative contract 23DCSBSO905 to purchase 10 student transportation buses — motion by Buddy Davis, second by Cedric Collins; vote 5–0, approved.