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Utica board hears transportation update: buses, GPS tracking and route freezes ahead of school opening
Summary
Transportation staff told the board the district has contracted bus providers and enough drivers for routes, is conducting dry runs and address verifications (about 600 address changes), uses GPS tracking on buses and plans a route-freeze after the first weeks to stabilize schedules.
Transportation officials told the Utica City School District Board on Aug. 28 that the district has contracted with two bus providers, conducted dry runs and has GPS tracking on buses, but they warned the first weeks of school will be operationally difficult as routes and stop verifications are finalized.
Transportation staff reported they contracted First Student in addition to the district garage and Durham, have been meeting weekly on revised routing since April, and are conducting dry runs this week. Staff said each company currently has enough drivers to cover their assigned routes, though absenteeism among drivers remains the biggest operational risk.
The district sent bus letters to families and reported roughly 600 address-change notifications in a short period, which staff said likely reflects inaccurate or outdated residency data and will require adjustments. Transportation will take head counts during the first three weeks, then institute a route freeze for about a week to limit daily changes and consolidate runs. Administrative cabinet members will also be deployed at arrival and dismissal during opening days to monitor operations.
Staff also confirmed all buses have GPS trackers (the district has required GPS tracking since 2021 and it is included in contracts), and said automation will improve routing: new student registrations feed directly into the VersaTrans routing system overnight, creating flags for manual review.
Board members asked about kindergarten drop-off procedures, corner vs. door stops, and how the district handles hardship requests. Transportation staff said guidelines follow state rules and recommended that families submit hardship reports for particular stop hazards; principals and transportation will coordinate adjustments as needed.
Transportation staff acknowledged the opening will be challenging but said they expect to stabilize routes after the initial verification and the planned route-freeze period.
