Board asks for clearer route times after staff explains long posted runs include deadhead returns

Trustees pressed district transportation staff for clearer metrics on how long students spend on buses after seeing route times that in some cases span more than an hour and a half. Transportation assistant (presenting) told the board that the times in the posted schedule include the bus’s deadhead trip back to the elementary school to begin a second‑tier run; "some of those times seem longer, but there are not kids on the bus because it does include their dead time back to the school," the staff member said.

Board members said they want a simple, comparable metric: an overall route duration that shows when the first student is picked up and the last student is dropped off. One trustee asked that staff calculate the per‑route overall time and reattach comparative maps showing how routes changed from the previous year; transportation staff agreed to present those comparisons at the November 19 meeting and to show how a planned 'apple route' would shorten some runs.

Trustees voiced frustration that families accustomed to shorter rides last year are now seeing longer times and asked staff to show evidence rather than rely on subjective accounts. Transportation staff noted that some long trips (for example, a wrestling tournament in Boise) are organized through fundraising and shared buses. The board directed staff to present overall route durations and updated maps at the next meeting so trustees can consider schedule changes before the school year progresses further.

The board also introduced the district’s new assistant transportation supervisor, Michael De Brunner, who prepared the route materials on his first day and received thanks from trustees for getting up to speed quickly.

Next steps: Transportation staff will calculate per‑route start‑to‑end times, reattach prior‑year maps, and present the proposed routing change at the November 19 meeting.