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District outlines Athena routing rollout and says single bell schedule could reduce costs
Summary
Transportation staff reported using the Athena routing system to optimize bus routes, with drivers validating stops; officials said the platform could enable a move to a single bell schedule to reduce miles, costs and student wait times and support future fleet upgrades.
Transportation staff told the Budget, Finance and Transportation Committee they are implementing the Athena routing platform to modernize bus routing, improve efficiency and support a potential move to a single bell schedule.
Mr. Kee reported that drivers are documenting each stop, pickup and drop‑off time to compare real operations with Athena’s recommendations so route adjustments can be made without disrupting students. Staff described early gains including receipt of two new buses (four total received recently), installation of new GPS devices and radios, and addition of two dedicated office shifts to improve parent communication. The system aims to reduce unnecessary miles, decrease fuel and maintenance costs and shorten student wait times.
Dr. McPherson and staff said a single bell schedule is a goal the district expects Athena to support; that change would reduce early‑morning pickups and could free funds for fleet upgrades. Mr. Kee noted an approximate $840,000 capital budget for projects with about $420,000 spent to date; rooftop unit replacements, door and access control improvements and bottle‑filler replacements were among projects listed. Staff stressed the system is still transitioning and that validation of route times by drivers is ongoing.
Committee members praised transportation staff for progress and asked staff to provide updated project lists and expected costs as changes are finalized.
