Rapid City Area Schools to cut bus stops, routes for 2025-26 to reduce cancellations and increase driver bench

Rapid City Area School District 51-4 officials presented a plan to reconfigure bus routes for the 2025-26 school year that would eliminate 108 bus stops, reduce the number of general-education routes from 34 to 26 and aim to increase average bus occupancy to about 70% of seats.

The measure follows a yearlong transportation study and is intended to reduce the rotating route cancellations that left some students without service. "We asked: what is the least we can do to get the largest result and hopefully start to turn the tide for this issue?" Chief Financial Officer Sassy told the school board during the June discussion.

Board context and why it matters

District staff and a consultant, Gage Consulting, examined stops-per-route, actual ridership and driver staffing levels. The district found it had about double the national average of stops per route and route capacity utilization of roughly 30% in many areas. That inefficiency, staff said, contributed to protracted routes and left the district vulnerable when drivers were absent.

Key facts and next steps

- Stops and routes: Transportation staff said they removed 108 stops from the route network, reducing total stops from 467 to 359. Routes that once had as many as 25 stops would be reduced to 17 in some examples.

- Ridership and capacity: In a sampled area, expected ridership of 1,600 students equaled actual counted riders of 1,223; the average riders per bus reported was 39 students. Most district buses seat 76–81 passengers.

- Routes and drivers: With the route changes, the district proposes cutting deployed general-education routes from 34 to 26. Staff said that under current staffing levels the transportation department could cover the reconfigured routes and have a daily driver reserve of about two to four people to absorb absences or mechanical problems.

- Travel times and convenience: Staff warned some students will face longer walks to stops—generally from a half-block up to three blocks—and average route times are expected to rise by about five to seven minutes. Staff said stop locations will be placed where they judged them safe and reasonably spaced.

- Recruitment and pay: The district emphasized driver compensation as a recruiting tool. CFO Sassy told the board the district raised starting wages by 17% in fiscal 2024 and another 6% in fiscal 2025, "a 23 percent increase over the last 2 years," placing the starting wage at about $20.33 per hour.

- Technology and monitoring: Staff said they will press families to register whether students plan to ride so routes can be better sized. The district also plans to push use of a stop-finder app that shows each route and can send a geographic ping when a bus is approaching.

Implementation risks and community reactions

Board members questioned route spacing and whether the district has a formal policy for adding or removing stops. Staff said there is not a current policy but pledged to bring one to the board. Members also raised concerns about neighborhoods with irregular layouts (the CFO singled out the West Side) and the need to test routes before implementation.

Staff said next steps include final route testing, continuing to monitor rider registrations and sending route-specific letters to affected families: a general notice midweek, followed by specific pickup and drop-off notifications about two weeks later. "We are going to send a letter probably by midweek or end of this week," the CFO said.

Ending

Board members framed the proposal as a trade-off: slightly longer walks or ride times for families in exchange for fewer cancellations and more reliable service. Implementation depends on staffing and successful final route testing; staff said they will continue to monitor both ridership and recruitment through the summer and into the school year.