District credits 'Safe Start' changes with sharp rise in bus ridership and on‑time performance

David Noland, who presented the Safe Start initiative update, told the board the district’s transportation redesign has driven substantial gains in both ridership and punctuality. "This year it's at 61,416 riders," Noland said, calling the roughly 14,000‑student increase a 31% rise in ridership over the prior year. He attributed the gains to moving from four tiers to three in routing, better route stability for drivers and targeted operational changes.

Noland highlighted punctuality improvements: morning on‑time arrivals averaged about 98% compared with roughly 83% previously, while afternoon pickups improved from about 60% to 88%. He said the changes have added roughly 42 hours of additional instructional time per teacher across the year, a calculation he connected to the routing adjustments.

Superintendent Denise Carlin praised the results and singled out Chief Dave Newland and transportation staff for the operational changes that reduced disruptions. "The results speak for themselves," Carlin said, noting principals and parents have reported more reliable service. Board members raised follow‑up questions about crossing guards, gated communities and how the district will support continued improvements as new schools come online in the east zone.

Noland said the district is exploring routing software upgrades (noting an ongoing conversation with the governor's team about appropriations for technology) and driver incentive programs funded in part through statutorily available bus patrol revenue. He also flagged ongoing work with gated‑community access policies, geofence adjustments for the 'Where's the Bus' program and a study comparing top‑performing districts.

Board members and the superintendent urged continued outreach and asked for data on long‑term impacts and future scaling as schools open and enrollment shifts.