Little Miami transportation supervisor outlines staffing, routing and safety changes ahead of school year

Travis Showers, the district transportation supervisor, told the Little Miami School Board at its July 22 meeting that the transportation department is working to strengthen staffing, training and daily procedures before the 2026–27 school year begins. "Our buses travel over 6,000 miles every day as they work their way across the district to get our students into our schools," Showers said, framing the scale of the operation.

Showers described steps the department is taking: clearer daily check-ins for drivers, improved recordkeeping, a safety committee staffed by onboard instructors, and an expanded training pipeline. He said the state requires 12 hours of behind-the-wheel training but the district plans to require substantially more classroom and on-route time — "probably 30 to 40 hours" — plus additional route rides so drivers can validate the computer-generated schedules in real conditions.

Board members asked whether the routes that will be bid next Tuesday are new or carryovers; Showers said they are new routes and that the district will know the final staffing only after bidders accept routes. He outlined plans for standby drivers, a pipeline of trainees working toward CDLs, and closer coordination with special-education and building staff to ensure accurate route data.

Showers also previewed a July 30 bus open house intended to teach students and families loading/unloading safety via a "passport to safety" with stations and translated materials. Trustees requested monthly reporting on canceled routes and other service disruptions so the board can track operational impacts.

The presentation and Q&A emphasized keeping services "reliable, efficient, and responsive to the needs of students, family, and staff," Showers said. No formal action was taken on the transportation update itself; related items (bus stops, personnel, handbook language) were considered later in the meeting.