Revamping special-needs bus routes leads to promotion

ANNISTON, Ala. — Sonya Smith started with Calhoun County Schools as transportation secretary, but her duties delved into a number of areas, including routing.

“My title was secretary, but I was doing much more than that,” Smith told The Anniston Star. “The problem was, I couldn’t focus my attention entirely on routes, and that’s why there was such a need for a route specialist.”

Smith was promoted to that position, the district's first route specialist, after proving her proficiency in special-needs bus routing.

To meet a requirement from the Office for Civil Rights to ensure that students get the same amount of classroom time, Smith revamped the district's special-needs route system.

Funding from the state allowed the district to hire a route specialist earlier this year, and Smith was the natural choice.

“It just made sense to me to bring someone aboard to look at all our routes that had already demonstrated expertise in the most sensitive area, special-needs routing,” Director of Transportation Kenneth New told The Anniston Star.

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