Audit: Pojoaque transportation department made rapid gains but faces funding shortfall and bus-barn question

Transportation Director Gary Jamba presented an audit that found the district had successfully stood up an in-house transportation department after ending contractor services, but that the program now faces fiscal stress and operational challenges.

Jamba told the board the audit team recognized a “strong path toward operational excellence” while identifying specific fiscal and oversight concerns, including payroll, overtime, maintenance schedules and route management. He said the district experienced a roughly $266,332 reduction in transportation funding entering the 2024–25 year and that the audit recommended 12 major areas for improvement to increase solvency and compliance.

Board members pressed administration for a clear baseline of annual operating costs and asked for a six-month cost breakdown covering lease, utilities and fuel for the current off-site bus barn. The board recorded that current rent for the off-campus facility is about $4,000 per month and that the audit included an estimate for constructing an on-campus bus barn; that estimate ranged in the presentation from about $242,000 to $423,000 depending on scope.

Members discussed driver shortages (the district reported losing two drivers since the audit), the importance of route evaluations and the need to improve parent communication around route predictability. Administration said the transportation team will meet with the superintendent, CFO and other staff to draft an implementation plan that prioritizes the audit recommendations and develops funding options for a potential on-campus bus barn.