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Arlington ISD reports improved transportation staffing, fleet renewals and new customer-service platform
Summary
The district reported better driver staffing (96% attendance in the first month), planned bus purchases from the recent bond, and a 'Let's Talk' customer-service pilot that has handled roughly 2,500 chatbot inquiries to speed parent communications and reduce phone/email backlogs.
Director Jason Gillis and Doctor Hill presented a transportation update at the Oct. 2 meeting highlighting operational improvements.
Gillis noted the department’s focus on staffing and fleet management following challenges the previous year, reporting high driver attendance ("96% attendance through that first month") and ongoing fleet balancing efforts. The district said 40 new buses purchased via a recent bond are expected in October and that older buses have been auctioned to maintain a modern fleet.
Officials also reported more than 1,500 special trips (extracurricular events such as athletics and band) scheduled between Aug. 13 and Sept. 15 and described close coordination with special-education transportation needs. The presentation included parent and administrator feedback praising recent service improvements.
A core operational change is the 'Let's Talk' customer-service platform pilot, which the transportation team said produced over 2,500 chatbot responses that allowed families to get quicker answers without waiting multiple days for phone or email responses.
Trustees thanked staff and noted fewer constituent complaints arriving in trustee inboxes. The board did not take action on the item; transportation staff said they will continue to refine staffing and customer-service processes.
