Board approves new non-CDL driver jobs to address late bus drop-offs

The Marion County School Board voted Jan. 13 to add five non-CDL driver positions to the central-office staffing plan as part of efforts to improve bus-on-time performance and reduce late student drop-offs. Board discussion during a pulled agenda item emphasized transportation challenges affecting attendance and families’ work schedules.

Board member Thoreau described transportation punctuality as "one of our greatest challenges," citing progress on morning on-time delivery (from approximately 91% to 95%) but a decline in afternoon on-time delivery (from about 70% to 67.6%). Miss Morant, executive director of human resources, told the board the new positions will be district-funded and will operate vans recently purchased for student transport.

Why it matters: The board tied transportation reliability to student attendance and academic outcomes; several members said the non-CDL positions give the district another tool to improve route coverage in rural pockets where large buses are less practical.

Details and board direction: Board member Campbell noted the job description could allow individual schools to hire similar employees if they obtain vans, potentially letting principals use site-based resources for local needs. The board approved the staffing amendment and the non-CDL driver job description by unanimous vote.

Next steps: Staff will post the job descriptions and proceed with hiring; transportation staff will continue work on improved scheduling and community communications.