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Board hears updates on late buses; district says fixes under way and approves electric bus grant
Summary
The board heard about recent late and disrupted bus service caused by an aging fleet and staffing gaps; the superintendent described contracting a mobile mechanic, leasing buses, training van drivers for bus licenses, and incentives for staff. Separately the board accepted a $2 million zero‑emission school bus grant that requires retiring four diesel buses.
Board members and district staff discussed a period of significant transportation disruptions this fall, during which multiple buses failed simultaneously and staffing gaps (including an unfilled mechanic vacancy and contract vendor turnover) compounded delays. Superintendent Tiffany Benson described a sequence of failures, retirements and vendor shortfalls and said the district had started immediate mitigations: contracting a mobile mechanic, leasing additional buses (on the consent calendar), expanding in‑house driver training to upgrade van drivers to bus licenses, and using temporary substitutes and campus passes to minimize academic impact for late students.
Staff said the district implemented an excused late color pass for students who arrive late due to bus delays so teachers will not penalize them academically, and campus monitors assist with PE changing when necessary. "It is a whack‑a‑mole of problems this fall and we have been addressing each of them as soon as they are happening," the superintendent said, listing near‑term steps and expected normalization as the mechanics and leased buses come online.
On a related item, Business Services staff explained the district had been awarded approximately $2 million through the Zero‑Emission School Bus and Infrastructure Incentive Program (ZESP) to purchase electric buses and necessary electrical infrastructure; the grant is roughly $435,000 per bus and requires the district to decommission four diesel buses. The board approved acceptance of the ZESP award and related steps to proceed.
Next steps: the transportation department will continue to recruit and train drivers, finalize leased buses and mechanic support, and monitor routes; staff said they will report operational progress to the board as fixes are implemented.
