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Ozark R-VI board approves revised bus routes after transportation staff detail chronic driver shortages
Summary
The Ozark R-VI School Board approved revised bus routes after hearing a lengthy transportation briefing on driver shortages, new bus cameras and GPS tracking; staff said vacancies and comp-time accruals are straining daily operations and will return next month with costed recommendations.
The Ozark R-VI School Board voted to approve revised bus routes Monday after transportation staff detailed persistent driver shortages and new safety technology purchased with a district safety grant.
Transportation staff told the board the district began the school year about 12 drivers short and frequently operates with 14–16 absences on a busy day because of retirements, resignations and medical leave. Staff said the district has been covering gaps by assigning mechanics and driver trainers to run routes, doubling up routes, using teacher shuttles and having directors fill in — measures that have required 12‑hour workdays for some transportation personnel.
The presentation highlighted two safety and operations upgrades: a grant-funded Gatekeeper camera system installed on buses (four interior cameras plus a forward-facing camera) that staff said will help with discipline incidents, stop-arm enforcement and accident review, and a cellular GPS/telematics product the district tested on trips out of state to monitor location, speed, hard stops and engine diagnostics. Staff described an example in which remote diagnostics identified a DEF-tank fault on a bus in St. Louis; the district coordinated parts and repairs without a costly tow, which staff said reduced downtime and saved on emergency service costs.
Staff also described recent route adjustments: walking distances for some students were extended to two to three blocks (still within established policy ranges), pickups at many cul-de-sacs and dead-end streets were eliminated in most cases, and two routes were removed while several elementary routes and one secondary route were consolidated to reduce ride times. Presenter noted state reimbursement applies only to students who live more than one mile from their attendance center, limiting direct funding for routes within that radius.
A substantial portion of the presentation focused on personnel policy. Transportation staff said the district’s current practice of granting comp time instead of overtime can create a comp-time “snowball” that exacerbates coverage shortages: covering a five-hour route may generate 7.5 hours of comp time for the substitute, and repeated coverage can grow into double-digit comp-time balances that require additional coverage. Staff recommended the board consider alternatives — including paying overtime, expanding substitute pay and evaluating benefits for part‑time drivers — and promised a costed package of recommendations next month. Staff also said the district would pursue targeted recruitment (a job fair and a fall mailer) and examine incentive programs used by neighboring districts.
Board members asked for concrete numbers, tenure data and exit-interview findings; transportation staff committed to bring those figures and specific salary/benefit proposals to the October meeting. After the presentation the board moved and seconded a recommendation to approve the routes as presented; the motion passed on a voice vote.
Votes at a glance: the board approved the consent agenda earlier in the meeting; it approved the revised bus routes after the transportation presentation; and it approved a vacation-rollover clarification for staff leave. The board subsequently moved into closed session for an agenda item cited in the motion.
The district emphasized the upgrades are intended to improve student safety and reduce operational costs and that additional personnel and compensation decisions will return to the board with concrete numbers next month.
