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Transportation director Scott Gardner previews bus routes, new buses and county safety drills
Summary
Scott Gardner told the Clarksville board the district will keep the same 2026–27 bus routes while adding capacity with two new 78-passenger buses, and outlined a district and county reunification exercise, upgraded visitor/volunteer checks, and fuel-cost pressures that prompted a review of efficiency and electric-bus options.
Transportation and safety director Scott Gardner told the Clarksville Community School Board the district plans no major route changes for 2026–27 but will add capacity with two new buses and advance safety planning.
Gardner said the district runs eight bus routes — five neighborhood routes, one special-education route that covers the district and two out-of-district shuttles — and that the two buses the board approved in January are 78-passenger vehicles expected to arrive in October and November. "All of our buses are 72 passengers. These 2 new buses that we have ordered are 78, which make 2 more benches," Gardner said, adding the extra seats will help full routes in neighborhoods such as Hallmark, Riverchase and Cambridge.
The director also told the board diesel prices rose about 60% this spring and that transportation staff reduced idle time and monitored mileage to conserve fuel. "We did our best to be as efficient as we can," he said, and agreed to research electric-bus and gasoline-efficiency options at the board's request, noting higher upfront costs and battery-life questions for electric vehicles.
On safety, Gardner said the district will present a final school safety plan after the corporation safety team completes its review; the plan includes a new visitor check-in system and a more intensive volunteer screening process implemented through Safe Hiring Solutions. "The visitor check-in allows, like, a real time initial offender check for any visitor to the building," he said, describing the system's ability to log visitors and send alerts to administrators.
Gardner described a district reunification exercise and a countywide drill held in the second week of June. The exercise used buses to move staff and students between sites, assigned staff roles for reunification, and used Southeast Christian as the reunification location. He said all four public-school corporations in the county participated along with every police jurisdiction and Clark County Emergency Management, and that the exercise improved traffic flow, role assignment and interjurisdictional coordination.
During board questions, Gardner said the district has added a stop across from Providence for families there and will consider additional out-of-district stops based on demand. He acknowledged community complaints about bus speed on Carter Street and said the district does not have a GPS speed-monitoring system on every bus because of cost but that newer buses include engine-monitoring that can be used for oversight.
Gardner asked the board to approve the bus routes at a future voting session; Dr. Bennett later presented the routes and the board approved them as part of routine business.
The district will bring the near-final safety plan to the board for approval before school starts and Gardner said he will report back on research into electric buses and other efficiency measures.
