Board hears how new transportation facility could reduce costs and prompt route changes

Superintendent Klein told the board the district’s new transportation facility was designed with added capacity and could allow the district to operate routes more efficiently and reduce some vendor costs over time.

Klein said Director Floyd has been tasked to analyze routes and that, as contractors phase out, the district could begin to take more routes in-house. He said centralizing parts and supplies in the repurposed maintenance hub and using contracted mobile mechanics at the site should reduce recurring costs.

"As Mr. Floyd...starts to really look at the routes in detail to see how he can refine them and make them more efficient, that's again one of the overall overarching goals...to make the routes more efficient," Klein said. He added the district will continue working with current contractors during the transition and that repurposing the original transportation building as a maintenance hub will allow centralized ordering and distribution of supplies.

Board members also raised safety and traffic-pattern concerns at the high school. Klein said he asked Transportation Director Floyd, Officer Reinhart and school leadership to propose a new drop-off pattern separating buses (front) from parent drop-off (back) to improve safety, and said he will bring their plan back for next year.

Klein proposed an open house at the transportation facility once site work settles so residents can see the building and operations. He did not propose any formal board action at the work session other than scheduling the April/May approvals for remaining bond-funded items.

The session included a public question about heavy bus traffic on Flatwoods; Klein said not all buses will regularly use Flatwoods because some drivers park buses at home and that the county highway department is the responsible party for berm/shoulder work on that road.