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Plano ISD outlines hazardous‑roadway bus route changes, reviews option to end fare busing
Summary
Plano ISD staff presented updated hazardous‑roadway guidelines and maps for 2025–26 that would reduce hazardous routes by about 26, change driver needs and proposes discontinuing fare busing; staff said the district faces an $18 million transportation funding gap and plans an aggressive communication timeline if the board approves changes.
Plano Independent School District transportation staff told the board on Feb. 18 that updated hazardous‑roadway guidelines applied districtwide would reduce the number of designated hazardous routes and change bus driver requirements while prompting a recommended review of fare busing.
Transportation staff described the district’s definition for hazardous roadways — four‑ or six‑lane roads with speed limits over 45 mph, major highways (such as US‑75, President George Bush Turnpike, Dallas North Tollway), active railroad crossings or routes lacking pedestrian‑activated traffic signals or safe paths — and showed maps for elementary, middle and high school zones. The staff presentation said applying the new guidelines would discontinue roughly 26 hazardous routes and lead to a net staffing change driven by campus retirements and increased bilingual transportation needs.
“Routes discontinued due to the new hazardous roadway guidelines: negative 29; routes added: 3; net change negative 26,” the presentation summary said, and staff estimated the net change would equate to about 13 drivers affected by hazardous‑route changes but a separate set of route adjustments tied to campus retirements and bilingual program growth would add about 21 drivers, for a net increase of 8 drivers.
On fare busing — a program that charges families for service in areas that are not otherwise eligible for free transportation — staff said TASBO recommended discontinuing the program because of inequities, inefficiencies and cost. Transportation staff described an alternate approach on existing routes where empty seats could be offered to fee‑paying riders (no new routes or drivers), and said such an approach would not be an incremental cost to the district.
Board members pressed staff on operational and timeline questions. A trustee asked how long it would take to establish an alternative fare‑busing program; staff replied that true ridership numbers would not be known until September or October of the school year and cautioned that parents who rely on fare busing might need to wait until that ridership snapshot is confirmed. Another trustee asked how drivers could verify whether a rider is eligible; staff said the district plans to pilot an ID/badge technology and expects to implement it districtwide by 2026–27.
District staff also reiterated a long‑standing transportation funding shortfall. “We have an $18,000,000 funding gap on our transportation,” a trustee said; staff confirmed that the district budget faces a significant transportation deficit and that the hazardous‑route changes are partly a response to that gap. Staff said next administrative steps include preparing the final 2025–26 hazardous‑route plan for board approval, developing a communication plan and presenting the plan for consideration (staff said March is the earliest possible board action).
If the board approves the plan, staff said it will follow with a robust communication campaign to parents and the community and described the expectation that implementation changes should be minimal in subsequent annual reviews.
The board did not take a vote on the hazardous‑route recommendations on Feb. 18; staff said they will return with a final plan and timeline for board consideration.
