La Joya ISD launches TransFinder audit to overhaul transportation routing, fleet and staffing
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Summary
Chief Operations Officer S.B. Pearson told the board that an independent audit of the district's transportation operations by TransFinder has completed its fieldwork and will guide a phased overhaul of routing, fleet replacement and staffing to improve on-time arrivals and reduce overtime and outsourced maintenance.
La Joya ISD Chief Operations Officer S.B. Pearson told the board that the district contracted with TransFinder, the vendor for its routing software, to perform an independent transportation audit that was completed last Friday and will inform corrective actions intended for roll out by next school year.
Pearson said the audit examined fleet condition and maintenance practices, routing designs, staffing (including driver spares and diesel mechanics), overtime drivers for extracurricular runs, and fuel usage. He said the intent is to reduce student ride time, improve equity of access, reduce outsourced maintenance costs and lower overtime by optimizing route design and bus deployment.
The district operates an estimated 168 buses in its fleet and deploys roughly 130 on regular routes, Pearson said in response to board questions. He described a vehicle-replacement best practice of about an eight-year or roughly 120,000-mile cycle for school buses; La Joya’s current practice had stretched replacements to about 12–13 years (around 150,000 miles) in part because the district lacks certified diesel mechanics and outsources significant maintenance.
Pearson outlined a phased timeline: internal planning and the audit close-out (Oct–Nov), corrective-action planning and initial implementations (Nov–Jan), vetting with campus leaders and principals (Jan–Mar), parent and community engagement at campuses (Apr–May), and an anticipated implementation start in August. He said some audit findings have already prompted immediate operational changes while the district awaits a finance report from the auditor.
Board members asked how severe the driver shortage is; Pearson said routes were filled as of the prior week but that the district currently lacks spare drivers or subs, which creates coverage risk when drivers call out. He confirmed the district is actively recruiting bus drivers and has open diesel mechanic positions. On technology, Pearson said the district currently has GPS on buses but does not yet have student-tracking capability; that functionality is part of the planned software and license upgrades.
Pearson said the audit’s success measures include: improved on-time arrival rates; fewer buses and routes required to serve the same student population; reduced overtime costs and outsourced maintenance; and higher parent satisfaction driven by clearer routing and better communication. He said the district also will evaluate whether to bring diesel mechanics in-house to reduce downtime and outsourcing costs.
Pearson said outreach will include campus-level meetings during open houses and other events so parents can ask routing questions directly. The board and district leadership emphasized a need for a comprehensive communication plan and two-way channels (emails/texts) for parents who cannot attend meetings.
The presentation concluded with board support for the phased approach and an acknowledgement that routing has not been comprehensively overhauled in about 20 years, a gap Pearson said the district intends to close.
