Carson City trustees hear detailed update on aging bus fleet, staffing and pilot camera program

The Carson City School District on an informational agenda item reviewed the condition of its student-transportation fleet, staffing levels, walk zones and pilot bus-camera enforcement, Superintendent Fuehling and Transportation Director Sherry Fletcher told the Board of Trustees.

Fletcher said the district maintains 47 buses in its yard but noted that “33 of those buses are over 20 years old,” a factor officials said limits reliability and raises maintenance costs. “We have 47 total buses, and that that does not mean though there are 47 buses running every day. We have some spares,” Fletcher said.

Why it matters: Aging buses increase maintenance costs and risk service interruptions that affect student access to school and after-school activities. Trustees and staff discussed repair costs, replacement timelines and the trade-offs of cleaner but less reliable electric buses.

District staff described recent procurement and operations issues. Fletcher said two special-education buses ordered last year are expected to arrive next week but cautioned prior orders were delayed or canceled during national supply-chain disruptions. The district operates four electric buses acquired through grants; two run regular routes and two are currently not in service, Fletcher said. She stated the district had been offered additional electric buses but has paused further purchases because of reliability problems and limited local vendor support. “We clearly want to have dependable service for our kids,” Fletcher said.

Cost and equipment details and staffing: Trustees and staff gave several cost figures during the discussion. Fletcher said spare-bus engine replacements can cost about $25,000. Superintendent Fuehling and Fletcher discussed typical vehicle prices, with conventional diesel buses discussed at roughly $200,000 and a reported local source offering buses around $175,000. Fletcher said conventional large buses have about 77 seats.

Drivers and retention were a recurring concern. Fletcher said the district currently has 16 regular-route drivers and 10 special‑needs drivers, with two substitute drivers, plus 10 bus attendants and four mechanics. She said starting pay for drivers is $19.63 per hour and that turnover remains high: “We hire somebody. They just, they leave to somebody to go to another district. It's under 2, it's under $20 to start for a bus driver still.” Board members said raising pay and recruiting remain priorities.

Safety and enforcement: The district described a small pilot with automated enforcement cameras. Superintendent Fuehling said a company called Bus Patrol installed cameras on four buses at no cost and that the short pilot detected about 300 violations over roughly four weeks: “There were about 300 violations. And I think it was averaging for every bus, like, 3 or 4 per day.” He said the state recently authorized processes for law enforcement to review footage and issue citations in such cases, and that revenue from fines is typically shared between the vendor and the district to support transportation and safety programs.

Walk zones and service design: Trustees asked about walk-zone distances. Fletcher said elementary walk zones are one mile; middle and high school zones are 2.5 miles for much of the district. She and board members raised safety concerns where students cross major roads, including Highway 50 and Carson Street, particularly in darker months.

Immediate priorities and next steps: District staff listed immediate priorities as filling open driver and attendant positions, putting two incoming special-education buses into service, and continuing to evaluate vehicle procurement options. Board members asked staff to continue gathering information on camera programs, staffing costs and bus-replacement timelines and to return with options that reflect budget constraints.

Ending: Trustees thanked Fletcher and staff for the presentation and for the department’s efforts during periods of driver shortages and supply constraints.