The Nash County Public Schools committee on Thursday received a transportation staffing update and reviewed school safety plans that staff will send to the full board for approval.

Miss Tabaya, speaking for the transportation department, said the district currently employs about 105 drivers — including 97 who work both morning and afternoon shifts — but needs roughly 125 drivers to be fully staffed, leaving a shortage of about 20 drivers. Tabaya gave route and ridership figures (about 4,500 students on regular buses, about 203 on EC buses, and 23 EC pre‑K students at Willowford) and summarized recent training outcomes from a November bus class and retesting sessions.

On school safety, Doctor Farrell presented the district’s safety plan and said Nash County Public Schools has implemented the 'I Love You Guys' standard response protocol, a five‑action framework (hold, secure, lockdown, evacuate, shelter) used statewide. Farrell outlined SRMP (School Risk Management Portal) submission requirements, the district’s lockdown‑drill schedule (three lockdown drills annually, with one drill conducted with law enforcement), required tabletop exercises and monthly fire drills, and described the district process for storing school plans offline (USB) and sharing plans with the fire marshal and emergency management office for review.

Committee members voted to take the safety plans to the full board for approval. The presentation was described as an action item to send the plans to the board.