PGCPS says transportation action plan cut morning trip imbalance from 432 to 18; expands family communication tools

Prince George's County Public Schools officials said June 11 that the district's transportation action plan has produced measurable operational gains, including a steep reduction in imbalanced morning trips and modest increases in seat utilization.

Superintendent Dr. Joseph introduced the update and said the district has taken “a disciplined, intentional approach” to reduce variance and improve on‑time arrival for students. He then turned the briefing over to the transportation team to review data and next steps.

Director Kiba Baldwin, identified in the presentation as the director of transportation and central garage services, said the district has narrowed morning trip imbalance from 432 trips at the time of the October 2023 audit to 18 as of April 2026. “That's not a minor adjustment. That's a fundamental shift in how we manage our morning service,” Baldwin said. He also said trips per vehicle have increased from 5.3 to 5.7 on average, with a seasonal peak at 6.3, and seat utilization moved from 60.8% to 62.8%.

Baldwin described a three‑part strategy: (1) aligning vehicle type to student need (buses, vans, contracted services) to preserve capacity for larger routes, (2) prioritizing service for McKinney‑Vento students and those with specialized needs, and (3) building a van program as a workforce pathway to CDL licensure. The district said it currently supports more than 1,380 McKinney‑Vento students across the three service models; the presentation gave the breakdown as roughly 84.9% (about 1,179) on school buses, 12.9% (about 179) on vans, and 2.2% (the slide reads “30” in context) on contracted services. The transcript contained a numeric inconsistency on the contracted‑services count; the percentage and the small absolute number suggest the intended figure is about 30 students rather than 330.

Technology investments are central to the plan, officials said. The district has adopted Bus Planner for operational routing and visibility and rolled out the family‑facing app Chipmunk, which officials said has 16,000 subscribers with a goal of 70,000. Baldwin described new Geotab telematics devices and tablets giving turn‑by‑turn directions and student attendance tracking: “We're building a technology ecosystem that supports both the operators and our families,” he said.

The presentation closed with a handoff to the human resources team for a staffing update; the board heard the transportation briefing and had no formal vote tied to the update at the June 11 meeting.

What happens next: the district said it will continue to refine routing and grow app subscriptions to reach more families, and staff will report back on staffing and sustainment plans in subsequent meetings.