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School board hears transportation update on routes, fleet and driver recruitment
Summary
Director of transportation Zane Harshman told the Buckingham County School Board the district runs 33 routes transporting roughly 1,562 students daily, is adding air-conditioning to new buses, and is pursuing driver recruitment and training; the board accepted three surplus vehicles from the Board of Supervisors.
Zane Harshman, the district's director of transportation, briefed the Buckingham County School Board on operations, fleet maintenance and recruitment as he delivered his first formal presentation to the board.
Harshman said the division runs 33 regular bus routes and transports about 1,562 students each school day, with a mix of in-county and out-of-county trips for special placements. "We do currently have 33 bus routes," he said. He described heavy reliance on substitute drivers in recent weeks, noting some double runs and the department's use of spare vehicles to keep students moving.
On fleet upgrades, Harshman said the newest buses are being outfitted with air-conditioning after purchase. He told the board the bus recently ordered has a capacity of 77 seats and that air-conditioning work is being completed by the vendor before delivery. "The purchase order is for everything included with the air conditioning that we're putting on it right now," he said.
The transportation director also described maintenance and replacement work: several out-of-service buses were sold for salvage and new purchases are in process, including a letter of intent and an order for additional vehicles. He said routine maintenance, tows and off-site repairs are used when the district cannot complete work in its garage.
On staffing, Harshman said recruitment is ongoing and that the district has begun "train the trainer" sessions to increase in-house capacity to qualify new drivers. He said the division is contacting retired drivers to serve as substitutes and noted modest interest so far.
The board approved a related procedural item: it accepted the transfer of three surplus Ford Explorers from the Board of Supervisors for use in school operations and special-education transport. The motion to accept the transfer passed unanimously.
Next steps: Harshman said he will provide additional operational numbers on request, including the exact count of active routes currently running with air-conditioned buses, and will report back on recruitment outcomes as the training sessions conclude.
