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Parents and trustees press district on bus tracker glitches; First Student credits noted
Summary
Board members questioned district staff about repeated bus tracker glitches and communication when bus assignments change. Staff said they log late buses, have secured credits (about $20,000 for September) from contractor First Student, and will press the vendor to improve family communications.
Transportation performance and family communications with contractor First Student drew sustained discussion at the Dec. 15 Springfield SD 186 board meeting.
Board members described recent glitches with the bus tracker and cases where parents saw a bus at the depot while it subsequently arrived, creating confusion. One board member asked in the meeting, "Has there been any discussion about the tracker system for First Student? Because I know I think this year, we've probably had as many glitches as ever." (paraphrase of meeting remarks).
District staff described their current accountability process: schools report late buses to a shared Google Doc, the district vets reports to determine cause, and staff pursue credits with First Student. The business official said the district received about $20,000 back on the contract for the first month after applying contractual assurances.
Staff acknowledged some issues stem from manpower and route adjustments (double routes and different bus assignments). The business official said there is a way to notify families in the vendor's system but that it can be a manpower issue to configure and operate; staff pledged to address the issue with First Student and the district transportation coordinator was asked to follow up.
No formal action was taken at the meeting beyond requests that staff continue to press the contractor, track performance, and report back with updates. Board members said better real-time communication to families is needed when bus assignments change.
