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Holmen School District seeks two specialized transportation hires as student needs rise
Summary
District transportation staff told the board they will post openings for a special‑education bus driver and a special‑education bus aide, each roughly four hours per day, to address growing specialized-transportation demand.
Holmen School District transportation officials told the board on Sept. 22 the district plans to post two part‑time positions — a special‑education bus driver and a special‑education education assistant — to address increased demand for specialized transportation.
Dan Garrett, director of transportation, said the district expects to post a special‑education driver paid on the bus driver pay scale at $25.89 per hour and a special‑education assistant at $20.85 per hour. Each position is expected to be roughly four hours per school day (about two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon).
"At the start of the year, everything looked like it was gonna work... but then as more enrollments happened, it's not working out like we were hoping and planning," Garrett said, describing growth in students who require transportation under individualized education programs (IEPs).
Garrett said the district has historically operated one specialized transportation route at each elementary school and that last year growing enrollments forced consolidated coverage; this year a similar trend has emerged. He described operational strains when vans carry multiple 4K students and staff must remove and reinstall car seats, and said the new positions aim to relieve those burdens.
Board members asked about certification and training requirements for specialized transportation. Garrett said drivers must take an additional test administered by Gundersen (a regional testing/training provider) and that the district coordinates with school nurses and building staff for individualized training tied to students' IEPs.
The staffing requests were presented as an information item and noted for placement on the Oct. 13 consent agenda for formal approval and posting. No board vote occurred on Sept. 22; staff said they will seek to post the positions promptly to fill them before transportation demands increase.
