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Pasco School District proposes unified schedules and zones to ease bus driver shortage
Summary
District staff proposed unified early-release Wednesdays, zoned routes and adjusted school start times designed to create 40-minute gaps between runs so drivers can complete up to three routes, shrinking the system’s required routes from about 160 to 130 and improving reliability for students and after-school activities.
Pasco School District officials on Tuesday outlined a transportation redesign intended to reduce chronic bus delays and stretch available driver capacity.
Transportation lead Mira Goel told the board the plan would create larger service zones, adjust school start and end times by level and adopt a unified two-hour early release on Wednesdays. The changes are meant to guarantee a minimum 40 minutes between routes so a single driver can reliably complete up to three runs per day, Goel said.
The nut of the proposal would move middle schools about 35 minutes later in the morning, shift many high schools about 15 minutes earlier and standardize elementary start times by zone; some east-side elementary runs would shift as much as 45 minutes later. The redesign also aims to reduce overlapping runs and deliver more predictable timing for after-school activities.
Goel said the district currently needs roughly 160 drivers to operate its existing routing pattern but has about 115 on staff. Under the proposed schedule and zoned routing the district would need about 130 drivers, a net reduction of about 30 routes, she said. That change is not a layoff plan, Goel added; it is intended to let existing drivers cover more routes and reduce late or cancelled runs caused by shortages.
Board members and student representatives raised practical questions about family impacts, childcare, and how much lead time families would get to plan for earlier or later pickups. One board member noted middle-school families face a substantial routine change if start times shift 40 minutes. Goel said the district will negotiate impacts with labor partners (including Teamsters and PAE) and develop a comprehensive communication plan to give families ample notice.
The presentation also reviewed a community survey that found 79% of respondents ranked “ensure timely transportation” among their top three priorities. Goel said the district has modeled multiple scenarios and will bring negotiated proposals back to the board before implementation.
Next steps: staff will negotiate contract impacts with labor partners, finalize routing maps, quantify projected cost savings and timing, and publish a detailed communications timeline for families. The superintendent indicated the board could see an implementation proposal for the coming school year.
