Lakeland District board approves new bus route for Timberlake schools to reduce student ride times

The Lakeland District board voted to approve a new bus route serving Timberlake High School and Timberlake Middle School, a change staff said will reduce student ride times and reinstate stops residents asked for along Vantage Road and Diagonal Road.

Jessica, the district CFO, told trustees the new routing "reassigns stops from existing routes to help reduce student ride times" and allows the district to "reinstate some previously removed stops along Vantage Road and Diagonal Road," which she said had prompted calls from families. She said the route timing has not yet been finalized because staff need to send a bus out to practice stops and confirm run times.

Board members discussed the route map and consolidation decisions that were driven in part by state walking-distance rules. Jessica said the plan will also create efficiencies for the Spirit Lake Elementary special-education route. The board moved to approve the route so the district can prepare bid materials and notify families once a driver completes training; the motion carried on a voice vote.

Trustees asked staff to publish stop times and to provide parents with the revised route details once run times are confirmed. Transportation staff said the district will also update the online route-finder tool so families can see whether an address is in a transportation zone.

The board took no separate action on scheduling; staff said they will return with finalized times and a rider information packet after the practice run and driver availability are confirmed.