Board to consider districtwide tiered bus schedule after staff projects recovered state funding
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Summary
Transportation staff proposed a tiered bus schedule that could raise the district’s state efficiency rating and recover hundreds of thousands in state funding; the board asked staff to place the item on the March 16 agenda and to return with bell‑time scenarios and outreach plans.
The Randolph County School System board heard a detailed presentation on a proposed districtwide tiered bus schedule and instructed staff to place the proposal on the March 16 meeting agenda for action.
Wendy Anderson and Jamie Smith, transportation staff, walked the board through operational and financial tradeoffs of a tiered schedule. Currently the district runs about 140 bus routes with a state efficiency rating at 87.9%, which transportation staff said leaves roughly $740,000 in potential state funding unclaimed. Anderson said running a two‑zone tier in the current year’s data would remove 16 buses from the fleet and raise efficiency to about 92%, recovering an estimated $269,000; a larger rollout cutting 31 buses could recover approximately $594,000. “We’re leaving money on the table,” Board member (Speaker 1) said while urging the board to act on staff recommendations.
Operations and safety: staff identified a key constraint — district policy requires that third‑grade and younger students be handed to an adult at drop‑off — which complicates afternoon tiering because buses cannot leave young children unattended. Presenters described mitigation options used by other counties (bringing children to the closest school if no adult is present) but said that approach raises concerns for middle‑school campuses and for very young children. Anderson emphasized the need for a clear plan for absences and late parent pick‑ups before broad implementation.
Staffing and human resources: presenters proposed converting some split positions to full‑time bus roles to improve recruitment and stability; full‑time shifts (guaranteed six hours) and benefits, they said, were attractive to drivers and could reduce vacancy rates. The board and staff discussed impacts on athletics, sibling schedules, and parent work times; multiple members urged robust community outreach before any vote.
Action and next steps: Speaker 1 closed the discussion by instructing staff to bring the tiered bus system to the March 16 board meeting as an action item, with a recommended approach covering all four zones plus detailed bell‑time scenarios, costed savings estimates and a public engagement plan. No implementation date was approved at the work session.
