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District 59 transportation review: 3,686 eligible riders, 307 routes; board keeps paid‑bus fee at $5.25
Summary
District officials told the board that transportation serves 3,686 eligible students across 307 daily routes, totaling nearly 3,000 miles and a district expense above $7.5 million; the board discussed app accuracy, route timing and driver shortages and voted to keep the paid‑bus fee unchanged at $5.25.
District transportation staff presented a midyear review to the board on Feb. 19, outlining route counts, staffing challenges and communication systems while the board weighed whether to change the paid‑bus fee for next year.
Transportation staff reported that 3,686 students are eligible for district transportation; the system runs 307 routes a day, with as many as 2,691 stops and nearly 3,000 vehicle miles daily. Staff cited a district transportation expense of "a little over $7,500,000" for the period discussed.
Presenters described average route times (morning averages of roughly 37 minutes and afternoon averages near 36 minutes) and noted some outlier routes (one example: 19 students on a 71‑minute route). They explained that the district contracted with a third‑party vendor (Safeway) to supply drivers and buses; the district’s transportation team maintains oversight, audits late routes and can obtain credits for service shortfalls.
Board members and staff discussed parent communications and the new GPS‑app service (Here Comes the Bus). Presenters said the GPS turns on with the bus and that parents can set a radius notification, but board members and parents noted occasional glitches when buses are reassigned after a breakdown. Staff described steps parents should take (contact Safeway and the district) when issues occur.
On pay‑bus policy, the board discussed equity and operational tradeoffs; staff reported only a small number of families currently pay for service. The board decided to keep the paid‑bus fee at $5.25 for the coming year.
No personnel or contract changes were finalized at the meeting, although board members asked staff to continue improving app communications and to report back with stronger comparative metrics that show the effect of the district’s recent vendor change and route management adjustments.
