Transportation director outlines bus camera upgrades, routing overhaul and EV bus demo

Mr. Taylor gave a transportation update to the board detailing equipment, technology and training changes intended to increase student safety and operational efficiency.

He said video recording systems are now installed and functional on all buses, upgrading from earlier low-resolution systems to four interior cameras plus a forward-facing dash camera. He described improved radio communications, a new Transportation safety plan, and online, live-accessible bus route information for parents and staff.

Mr. Taylor outlined work to convert manual processes to digital ones: a transportation request form that feeds into the routing system (currently showing roughly 10,000 pending "blue dot" requests that staff are working to consolidate and validate), digitized field-trip requests, and a master schedule for planning. He also described expanded hands-on training for drivers, including active-shooter response and Stop the Bleed instruction.

On field trips and vehicle usage, he reported 1,245 field trips last year: 779 conducted on district school buses, 409 by white-fleet vehicles and 57 by charter services (garage buses were additional). He said increasing driver staff will reduce charter use and save money over time.

Mr. Taylor invited board members to an EV bus vendor demonstration at the bus yard on Thursday the 15th from 9:00–10:30 a.m., noting the demo vehicle positions students higher in the cabin to reduce crash-zone risk.

The board asked about identification badges and about how the routing form will match students (by ID number rather than name). Mr. Taylor said the district plans to implement ID-based cards with school logos for student identification and that parent-communication features remain to be fully activated.

Next steps: reconcile pending transportation requests, continue driver training, finalize parent ID integration, and host the EV bus demonstration.