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Students cite overcrowded buses; GRPS hears electric‑bus, camera and tablet pilot plans
Summary
Students told the Grand Rapids Public Schools board that buses are overcrowded and unsafe; Dean Transportation outlined improvements including ZPass incentives, a pilot for onboard cameras and tablets, and a plan to deploy up to 15 electric buses next school year funded largely by federal and state grants.
Students and transportation officials pressed the Grand Rapids Public Schools Board of Education on Wednesday over crowded high‑school buses and progress on technology pilots. Union High School seniors Naomi Charlton and Josiah Robertson told the board that buses were “extremely overcrowded,” that drivers sometimes skip stops leaving students behind, and that scholars sprint down a hill in snowy conditions to secure a seat.
"Students should not have to risk their safety riding an overcrowded bus or feel the need to sprint down a hill in snowy or icy conditions just to get a spot on the bus," Josiah Robertson said during public comment.
The board then heard a quarterly presentation from Dean Transportation. The vendor said the district has implemented an electronic field‑trip tracker, expanded ZPass card sign‑ups (with monthly incentives), and recorded its best on‑time performance to date in November at about 93 percent. Dean outlined two near‑term pilots: onboard camera systems (cellular and Wi‑Fi capable) and tablet devices for drivers that link to routing and student ID systems.
"We're looking at options to add external cameras to buses for illegal‑passing enforcement and internal camera pilots for safety," a Dean Transportation representative said, noting the state bills that would authorize bus‑mounted camera enforcement are moving through the lame duck session.
Dean also provided an update on an electric‑bus project pursued with district staff. The district has pursued an EPA grant (roughly $5.1 million) and a state grant that together total about $6.6 million; Dean estimated the total project cost at approximately $7,000,000 to deploy up to 15 electric buses, split between regular and special‑education operations. The presenter credited a Consumers Energy commitment to fund pre‑meter infrastructure work that reduces the district—s upfront cost.
Board members asked whether all buses already carry the external cameras referenced in recent bills; the vendor said installation is being evaluated, and multiple vendors are entering the market now that the legislation appears likely to pass. Dean said the camera pilot and tablet rollout are intended to improve safety, streamline data retrieval, and give administrators quicker access to footage and trip metrics.
District staff said the transportation advisory committee is tracking high‑school route crowding and that the committee will continue work on routing and capacity, with another transportation forum planned for March 2025. The presentation concluded with a pledge to circulate final quotes for electric buses and to develop camera and tablet pilot protocols with the district.
