MMSD reports smoother start to year as officials add routes, tracking and bus behavior program

Summary

At the Sept. 15 Madison Metropolitan School District board meeting, transportation officials reported an increase in routes and riders, new tracking and behavior efforts onboard buses, recruitment challenges for attendants and drivers, and a plan to add electric buses and chargers in the coming year.

Madison Metropolitan School District transportation officials told the Board of Education on Sept. 15 that the district has increased bus service, expanded parent tracking, and rolled out a bus behavior program as the school year began.

Vanessa Cruz, assistant director of transportation and logistics, said the district moved from 171 AM/PM routes last year to 176 for 2025-26 and is transporting about 8,500 students, including 418 4K students. “My name is Vanessa Cruz, assistant director of transportation and logistics,” she said while introducing her team and the updates.

The changes included a 5-minute middle‑school drop‑time adjustment that added several routes. District contractors report 66 commercial‑driver‑licensed (CDL) drivers, four charter‑only drivers, and roughly 19–21 bus attendants; staff and contractors told the board recruiting attendants remains a challenge and they have been working with neighborhood groups to expand the applicant pool.

Officials described operational preparations that preceded the school year: drivers received route assignments early, the district and…

MMSD reports smoother start to year as officials add routes, tracking and bus behavior program

Summary

Subscribe to keep reading