Twin Rivers trustees press transportation staff on electric-bus range, contracting and driver impacts

At a Twin Rivers Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting, transportation staff described progress on fleet electrification and outlined the department's capacity, staffing and field-trip contracting.

Director of Transportation Amir Mohidin, joined by operations supervisor Federico Demarque and administrative secretary Linda Daughtry, told trustees the transportation operating budget is about $10.9 million, with roughly $9 million going to salaries. The department lists 105 operating positions (61 bus-driver positions) and said it currently has about 57 drivers on staff and 92 active vehicles; Demarque said about 70 of those buses are electric, 12 are diesel and 10 use compressed natural gas. Staff said the department runs about 63 daily bus and van routes, transports roughly 2,400 students per day and covers about 3,600 miles each day.

The presentation highlighted safety measures — nine consecutive California Highway Patrol inspections — and said the 2023–24 year included 15 bus accidents, none involving significant injuries. The presentation also described the district's electrification timeline and upcoming deliveries: staff said 78 electric buses have been deployed so far and additional buses are scheduled to arrive in early 2025.

Public commenter Jason Benson, who identified himself as a transportation employee and district resident, raised contracting and equity questions: "How many thousands of dollars are we spending on these charter buses? Last year, we spent, I believe, around $1,000,000 for charter buses," he said, and asked how about 248 special-education students not on district buses are being transported.

Staff responded that the department uses contractors when district buses or drivers are not available, and said one of the department's goals is to reduce contracting "gradually over time." Mohidin said the department aims to reduce contracted trips by about half this year and is planning to purchase four propane buses and mobile charging units to support longer field trips. "We're looking into propane buses," Mohidin said, adding that alternate-fuel buses would help activity trips that electric buses cannot yet support due to charging and range limits.

Trustees pushed for follow-up. Several members said they wanted a formal report before the end of the school year showing progress toward reducing third-party contracts and the potential impact on classified employees who drive buses. Staff agreed to provide updates to the board as data are collected and changes are implemented.

The board's discussion acknowledged trade-offs in rapid electrification: while electric buses reduce emissions for home-to-school service, staff said range and charging logistics remain limiting factors for mid-day or out-of-town field trips, prompting interim purchases of propane or other longer-range vehicles.

The transportation presentation followed public comments earlier in the meeting urging trustees to visit district transportation sites and to consider the employment impacts of contracting. Staff said they will continue to report on staffing levels, contract-reduction efforts and the deployment schedule for new vehicles.