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Elkhart transportation director describes staffing, fleet and driver recruitment challenges
Summary
Transportation director Tyra Smith reported the district operates 141 buses over 80 square miles, serves over 60% of enrolled students, and seeks to grow its driver pool to about 115 to improve reliability; she described recruitment, pay, training and Stop Finder app communications.
Tyra Smith, Elkhart Community Schools’ transportation director, gave the board a detailed update on fleet size, staffing and recruitment strategies and urged the community to consider bus driving as a profession.
Smith said the district operates 124 yellow school buses and 17 white activity buses — a total of 141 — covering more than 80 square miles and transporting “over 60% of the total enrolled students.” She reported 97 current drivers, 31 helpers, three in training and 96 routes; Smith said the department’s recruitment goal is about 115 drivers to provide reliable coverage for call‑offs and absences.
“Bus replacement is not cheap,” Smith said, giving a per‑route annual operating cost of about $52,000 and per‑bus replacement ranges of $250,000 to $500,000 depending on bus size and specialty. She listed transportation goals as safety, operational efficiency and reliability, student and community well‑being, and community accountability in communication.
Smith detailed training and certification steps for prospective drivers, including obtaining a Class B commercial license, state testing and an Indiana‑specific “yellow card” requirement for transporting children. She said the district runs training classes, offers sign‑on and retention bonuses, and advertises competitive pay and benefits.
Board members asked about parent communications and the Stop Finder app. Smith urged parents to download Stop Finder from the district transportation website and explained that the app allows parents to track buses and receive delay or bus‑assignment messages. On weekend reports or incidents, Smith said district practice varies: administrators sometimes contact families over the weekend but are not required to do so under policy; the mandated notification timing applies to the next instructional day.
Smith also described mutual aid during a bus outage in another district and said the department routinely holds interviews and resource fairs to recruit drivers. Trustees praised drivers and helpers for steady service and long tenure; the board asked staff to continue outreach and to highlight the role’s schedules and benefits.
The transportation presentation was followed by board appreciation remarks and concluded with Smith inviting questions.
