Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Board hears detailed transportation update; staff outlines driver gaps and plans for routing automation
Loading...
Summary
District transportation leaders reported route-by-route metrics, driver shortages (37 drivers at Lecanto with four open routes), a targeted hiring event yielding applications, and plans to pilot automated routing and parent live-tracking over the next year.
Citrus County’s transportation leadership briefed the school board on April 28 about routes, driver staffing, recruitment results and a multi‑phase plan to modernize routing.
Transportation staff reported there are 170 scheduled daily routes across compounds (95 secondary routes, 68 elementary), with 104 drivers districtwide. Lecanto — the district’s largest compound — was flagged as an area of concern: staff said Lecanto has 37 drivers with four open positions and several others out on leave or workers’ compensation. Staff noted Crystal River and Inverness compounds generally have better coverage but still rely on trainers and office staff to fill gaps when needed.
A recent hiring event produced nine formal applications (six for drivers, two for bus aides, one mechanic from internal staff), and staff said three of the driver applicants were already enrolled in driver-certification classes. Transportation staff also reported a successful hiring of at least one returning driver and the addition of a mechanic who will start in June and receive summer training.
The department has improved parent communications through ParentSquare and can now notify families in advance when a route lacks coverage and offer alternatives such as vans or adjacent-route pickups. Staff said that messaging has reduced last‑minute morning surprises and that they will continue to expand notification procedures.
Longer-term, staff described a plan to implement modern routing software with automation features that can pack routes efficiently, account for special-bus requirements (wheelchair-accessible buses) and provide parents with live tracking and delay notifications. The board was told the district plans to run summer-school routes with the new routing tool as a pilot and aim for a broader rollout in roughly a year.
What’s next: staff will continue recruitment efforts, finalize the pilot plan for routing software during summer school, and report outcomes to the board.
