Transportation department outlines driver shortages, route costs and service pressures

Transportation staff presented an overview of operations, costs and staffing challenges, telling trustees that shortages of drivers and aides have required merging routes and creating exclusive special‑education routes.

Blair (transportation staff) said the district has about 64 buses in the fleet and typically uses roughly 39 buses per normal day, with 13 buses currently on the road for regular service when the presentation figures were compiled. Special‑education (inclusive ed) services require door‑to‑door routes and additional staffing (driver plus aide), increasing per‑student costs: staff provided example route costs of $3.73 per student per trip on a long TRE route and $3.14 per student on a long local route, compared with a system average of about $1.79 per student.

Staff recapped past consolidation efforts that saved an estimated $296,000 and noted field trips and overtime remain high-cost pressure points because some drivers prefer not to take trips and subs are limited. Maintenance and fleet renewal are also financial drivers; maintenance staff are researching a mobile alignment machine to extend tire life and reduce tire replacements.

Trustees requested additional data: route‑level cost breakdowns, the maximum number of buses used on a single busy day in recent years, and the number of students per route (including special‑education route counts) so the board can evaluate consolidation, boundary, and service options. Transportation staff agreed to provide route‑level data and counts.