Expansion adds to challenge
SOUTH DAKOTA
Brandon Valley School District 49-2, Brandon
FLEET FACTS
Buses: 27
Students transported daily: 1,750
Schools served: 5
Staff: 35
Area of service: 156 square miles
Average driver wage: $28.50 per trip
In a state not known for rapid population growth, Brandon Valley School District is an exception. "Unlike most other school districts in South Dakota, we are growing by leaps and bounds," says Transportation Supervisor Marlet Graue.
This influx has prompted the construction of a new elementary school, bringing the total number of schools in the district to five. Graue, who’s been the transportation supervisor for more than nine years, says she may have to add another route. That doesn’t sound like much, but when you consider that the district runs only 18 routes, it makes a difference.
Graue has been with the district since 1984, starting as a bus driver. She was promoted to transportation supervisor in 1994. Her advancement created surprisingly little resentment among her fellow drivers, who appreciated her 10 years of experience and aptitude.
As supervisor, Graue shoulders time-consuming responsibilities with great aplomb. "She does it all — hiring, driving, activity travel assignments, student discipline and much more," says Jim Shafer, who originally hired Graue as a driver in 1984. Says Shafer, now the general manager of School Bus Inc. in Sioux Falls, S.D., "Marlet works very hard to see that everything is run on time and in a safe manner."
But even Graue admits that she would like to spend more time on training and morale building. "We try to have staff meetings twice a year, and I try to hold one-on-one meetings with drivers each spring, but it’s tough to find the time," she says. This year she was able to coordinate first aid and CPR training for her drivers, thanks to a part-time assistant who is certified to teach the courses.
Generally, staff morale is good. "We have many different personalities," Graue says. "But if you had only one personality type, it would be very boring." Minor differences aside, the staff meshes well.
Although farmers make up a portion of the driver pool, the staff also includes firefighters, a minister and the local police chief, who, Graue adds, has problems with discipline on his bus. "He's been known to write up a few of the students," she says, laughing.
'Amazing' drivers fuel success
TENNESSEE
Sumner County Schools, Gallatin
FLEET FACTS
Buses: 156
Students transported daily: 16,000
Schools served: 43
Staff: 215
Average driver wage: $12.50
Website: www.sumnerbus.com
Although he’s been in the pupil transportation business for more than three decades, Larry Riggsbee is still in awe of the job that school bus drivers do. "They amaze me on a daily basis," says Riggsbee, the assistant director of schools at Sumner County Schools.
Riggsbee says he’s got a great bunch of drivers to pilot the fleet’s 156 buses, but could always use more subs. "We don’t have much turnover, but we have to compete actively for sub drivers," he says. Making this recruitment effort more crucial is local rezoning, which has forced the district to add new routes.
To keep parents and children informed of new developments like the rezoning, the transportation department uses its Website. "We communicate with them mostly over the Website," Riggsbee explains. Use of Edulog software for the past several years has helped to minimize routing problems, he adds.
Riggsbee has a lot of experience with the Internet and uses his expertise to help keep up the Tennessee Association for Pupil Transportation’s (TAPT) Website. Currently, he’s the executive secretary of the TAPT and has been a member for 25 years.
Staying involved with the TAPT has been a key priority for Riggsbee, especially since the association is headquartered in Sumner County. Each year he helps to organize the association’s annual meeting. He’s also organizing a maintenance workshop for the TAPT and members of the Western Kentucky Section 2 School Bus Mechanics Association. That event is scheduled June 24-25, 2004, in Buchanan, Tenn.
Riggsbee's a busy man. In addition to his commitments to the school district and the TAPT, he also sits on a state committee that helps to write school bus specifications and has been a Tennessee representative to the National Conference on School Transportation, which is held every five years in Warrensburg, Mo. (See Riggsbee's Industry Forum on pg. 57).
"I enjoy going to work every day," Riggsbee says. "I like the challenge." He’s especially proud of the fact that no child at Sumner County Schools has been seriously injured in a school bus accident in his 30 years on the job. "We're very serious about school bus safety and spend a lot of time on that."
Moving forward as a team
TEXAS
Judson Independent School District, San Antonio
FLEET FACTS
Buses: 150
Students transported daily: 12,460
Staff: 204
Area of service: 56 square miles
Starting driver wage: $9.25-$10.23
Website: www.judsonisd.org
When Judson Independent School District was created in 1966, there were 432 students. Since then, the area has undergone a dramatic urbanization, extreme increase in population and a swell in the demand for schools and school buses.
It’s a challenge being met by the transportation department and its coordinator, Lee Iredale. A former school principal, Iredale is no stranger to the task of keeping parents happy and budgets in the black. "Every parent would like to have door-to-door service, and the balancing of those concerns with the resources the district has to cope with brings the most frustration and challenges to my job," he says.
The way that Judson ISD has learned to deal with those frustrations is based on moving the department forward as a team. When Iredale arrived two years ago, the drivers' handbook was a stapled pamphlet. Today it is a comprehensive manual of policy as well as best practices and tips gleaned from discussion with the drivers themselves. There is also a commitment to constant training, in first aid, student management and defensive driving.
But the most important element of the department’s strategy is to make sure that everyone understands why they are there. Says Iredale, "If you’re not out driving students, which is the purpose of our existence, then you’d better be supporting those who are."
Iredale and his deputy have an open door policy, and every 15 drivers are assigned a lead to be the point person in addressing any concerns that arise. Sharing meals, recognizing contributions with awards and participating in roadeos also strengthens camaraderie.
It’s a formula that’s worked. Charley Kennington, program administrator for school bus transportation in Texas, sees collaboration as key to Judson’s ability to stay ahead of the curve. "The drivers and bus monitors are happy and have positive attitudes. This is in part because Lee communicates with them as he learns from them. Lee wants to learn and is willing to be involved and ask questions from all levels of staff, state association and from state agencies," Kennington says.
GPS helps track success
UTAH
Cache School District, North Logan
FLEET FACTS
Buses: 112
Students transported daily: 10,000
Schools served: 32
Staff: 135
Area of service: 500 square miles
Website: www.cache.k12.ut.us
The maintenance staff at Cache School District is riding an enviable winning streak. For eight straight years it has received the Utah Department of Public Safety's Gold Award for earning the highest possible rating in school bus inspections.
"They're just extremely knowledgeable," says Wayne Reese, transportation director, in explanation of their success. The five-member staff constantly expands its knowledge base by participating in training offered through the Utah Pupil Transportation Association. The mechanics also bolster their expertise by getting certified for warranty work by component suppliers such as Cummins.
Reese, who’s been Cache’s transportation director since the mid-1990s, says the department also excels in communication. All of the district’s 135 buses are not only equipped with two-way radios but GPS units as well. These global position systems were installed two years ago and allow the department to track the whereabouts of each bus and to gather historical data for future reference. The data can be easily accessed via the Internet.
"Using the GPS system, we can answer parents' questions," Reese explains. For example, if a parent disputes a bus' arrival time at a certain stop on a particular day, the system can quickly settle the matter. "It gives us the information right there," he says. The system is also used to verify time cards submitted by drivers.
Reese is proud of his 135-member staff and attributes the success of the operation to their conscientiousness and enthusiasm. "I couldn’t ask for better folks," he says. "They're very dependable and responsible."
The staff recently held a morale-boosting staff party after they learned the transportation department excelled in a state efficiency audit. "They were just so near perfect that we considered them perfect," says Brent Huffman, pupil transportation specialist for the Utah State Office of Education.
To maintain a high performance level, bus drivers are required to participate in a district roadeo at least every two years. Few drivers complain, especially since they're getting paid for their time. "They also realize that it’s a way of helping them refine their skills," Reese says. In addition to a standard roadeo, the district also conducts a special-needs roadeo.
Overcoming winter's sting
VERMONT
Orange Southwest Supervisory Union, Randolph
FLEET FACTS
Buses: 12
Students transported daily: 600
Schools served: 5
Staff: 15
Average driver wage: $50 per day
Driving conditions are an obvious concern in an area covered in snow for more than half the year. But the worries don’t end there. The transportation department serving the Vermont towns of Brookfield, Braintree and Randolph must also deal with a treacherous mud season when the snow melts.
Frequent training seminars and safety meetings are held to prepare the staff of 15 drivers for challenging routes, often on unpaved, single-lane roads.
District Superintendent Brent Kay attributes the lack of accidents and vehicle damage to drivers’ awareness and the leadership they receive from Transportation Coordinator Becky Bates.
"Becky spends a lot of time and energy building relationships with people and then engaging her bus drivers in staff training," Kay says. "It's more of a proactive approach to dealing with issues and concerns before they actually become issues and concerns."
Weekly meetings are held to give drivers the opportunity to discuss any situations or problems that have occurred, and at least one meeting a month is reserved to focus on safety. Nearly all the drivers are locals with years of bus driving experience in the area.
Bates says she tries to reinforce the importance of safety in positive ways instead of through punishment. "If someone has done something during the year, like knocking a mirror off, I might have that mirror for you at the end-of-year breakfast to remind you not to do that again," she says.
Kay commends the transportation department’s dedication to driver training because he says he looks at the bus as the largest classroom in the school district. One bus driver must handle up to 72 students at a time while concentrating on the road — a daunting task.
Unlike many states, school districts in Vermont have the choice to provide bus service. Routes are usually set to go through the centers of towns where students meet the bus. Kay says the buses in his district don’t drive as many miles as others, but they are on the road for the same amount of time. "It's just slow driving up and down fairly steep hills," he says.
(As this issue was being prepared for publication, one of Bates' drivers, Al Sprague, died unexpectedly. She wished to have the article published in his memory.)
Customer service initiative off to fast start
VIRGINIA
Stafford County Public Schools, Stafford
FLEET FACTS
Buses: 251
Students transported daily: 17,500
Schools served: 25
Area of service: 277 square miles
Website: www.staffordschools.net
Rapid population growth fueled by Stafford County’s proximity to Washington, D.C., and military installations has provided a key challenge to this transportation department. Located about 40 miles south of the nation’s capital, Stafford is one of the fastest growing communities in the U.S.
Transportation Director Larry Himes says the district is expecting to add 8,000 additional students to its rolls over the next six years. Five new schools — a high school, two middle schools and two elementary schools — are expected to open in the next two years.
"We're planning to increase the size of the fleet accordingly," says Himes. Currently, the department operates 157 regular-education buses and 37 special-needs buses, traveling about 12,500 miles daily.
Strategies to minimize the growing pains include the department’s new focus on customer service. Himes says his goal is to deepen the involvement of drivers in the transportation system while building greater awareness of customer service.
For example, on the first day of school, drivers were instructed to distribute to each student a hand-signed letter welcoming them to the bus along with a copy of the code of conduct. "We want to let everyone know up front what our expectations are," Himes explains.
This year drivers are also being encouraged to take proactive measures with behavior management. "Unless it’s a serious problem, we ask them to call the parents themselves," Himes says. "Sometimes a call to parents explaining what their children did is all it takes."
Customer service was also the topic of a motivational speaker who addressed the staff before the start of the school year. The customer-focused initiative has already paid dividends. "This first two weeks of school has been an excellent start-up for us," says Himes.
To keep school bus safety on the minds of motorists during the first week of school, sheriff’s deputies rode on buses traveling in areas with high rates of illegal drive-bys. These buses were trailed by unmarked police cars that pulled over motorists who failed to stop. "I don't know how many people were ticketed, but the program was effective," Himes says.
Partnership bolstered by team-building efforts
WASHINGTON
Spokane Public Schools — Laidlaw Education Services, Spokane
FLEET FACTS
Buses: 188
Students transported daily: 6,800
In the spring of 2001, more than 18 months before its existing transportation contract was due to expire, Spokane Public Schools began a transitional process that would conclude with a solid public-private partnership.
Its first action was to convene a task force to discuss the best possible approach to the process. "First and foremost, it was important to talk with the people on the front line who see the transportation department operate on a daily basis," says Joe Madsen, Spokane’s director of safety and risk management. Areas of interest included field trips, billing and auditing, technology and bus specifications.
"We looked at key issues and received input from the existing contractor, other contractors, drivers, legal counsel and principals," says Madsen.
The contract went out to bid in November 2002 for award in January 2003. In setting an earlier award date, the district and contractor gave themselves additional time to prepare for the 2003-04 school year. Ultimately, Spokane approved a five-year contract with its existing provider, Laidlaw Education Services.
That gave the district and Laidlaw eight months to review their relationship before the start of the 2003-04 school year. In April, school district and contractor representatives engaged in a weeklong team-building trip — in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and Missoula, Mont. — that allowed them to discuss tangible issues such as new activity-trip routing software. It also allowed them to form stronger interpersonal ties. "Being in those settings allowed us to establish a high level of trust," Madsen says.
That’s critical because the new contract requires greater partnering. "The contractor is now more responsible for what goes on," says Madsen, "and is empowered to fix things." For example, if the contractor misses a field trip, it can contact the school directly and make it right. "Then they don’t get hammered by the school district," he says.
The response by Laidlaw to the weeklong summit in Idaho and Montana has been just as positive. "We had never done anything quite as in-depth as that," says Verna Landy, Laidlaw's branch manager in Spokane. "It has made for a very smooth transition."
Early reports indicate that the transitional planning has been a success. "We have not had the start-up problems that we’ve historically had," says Madsen.
Staying power is high in this district
WEST VIRGINIA
Mercer County Board of Education, Princeton
FLEET FACTS
Buses: 83
Students transported daily: 6,727
Schools served: 29
Staff: 107
Area of service: 428 square miles
In a school district that is 80 percent rural, it is not surprising that drivers, most of whom park their buses at home at night, take their jobs to heart and perform them with dedication.
"We don’t have a great deal of turnover here," says Transportation Director Eddie Hopkins, who started out as a driver and has been with the district for 38 years.
Which is not to say that the district hasn’t felt its share of the effects from the nationwide driver shortage. "About four years ago, I was down to about four subs. It was really hairy here for a while," says Hopkins, who has a full staff and 16 subs on the roster this fall. "We're in good shape right now," he says.
With so many long-term staff members, however, it can be challenging to adapt to the changing needs of the industry and the growing community.
Mercer County schools have recently undergone consolidation, with four small high schools being consolidated into one newly-built school, and two new elementary schools replacing seven older ones. "The drivers were willing to accept the changes," says Hopkins, noting how thankful he is for the dependability of his employees.
Hopkins likewise lauds his eight mechanics for their willingness to learn. Most have some ASE (National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence) certification under their belts. "They do an outstanding job on maintenance," says Hopkins. The preventive maintenance program involves a monthly inspection of each bus, just like the annual state inspection, regardless of miles traveled. Mercer County’s five-bay shop includes a lube room and a body shop.
Though vehicle maintenance is tracked by computer, routing is still done the old-fashioned way — by hand — at Mercer County. Hopkins says he has yet to find a computerized routing system that can accommodate his district’s needs, but adds that his staff is reliable and up to the routing challenge.
Hopkins himself rises to the challenge posed by his 428-square-mile district’s annual battle with harsh winter weather.
"A lot of times we’ll have icy roads in one area and not in another. I’m on the road at 3 a.m. Our main goal is safety," Hopkins says.
Clean buses, positive attitude equal success
WISCONSIN
Lenon Bus Co., Lake Geneva
FLEET FACTS
Buses: 143
Students transported daily: 13,415
School districts served: 32
Staff: 170
Area of service: 584 square miles
If you ask Mary Lenon, the way to take a school bus company founded in 1949 through 50 years of evolution and expansion is to take pride in what you do and to always be open to new ideas. In charge since her father’s death in 1982, Lenon says management is always a challenge, "I face challenges that would have had my father throw his hands up in the air."
Among those challenges are the deep cuts facing school districts, the ever-increasing need for transportation in a high growth area and the difficulty of dealing with disruptive students. Still, every day Lenon Bus puts well-equipped, well-maintained and spotless buses out on the road. Their fleet is not only emblematic of their success, but also essential to achieving it.
"We enforce positive attitudes, we have regular meetings, and we have really, really good equipment. We pride ourselves not only on the mechanical well-being of our vehicles but their cleanliness too," Lenon says. "Those kids or teachers or taxpayers don’t care how many times the buses get washed, but we do."
The respect that she shows her fleet and her drivers is reflected in the way they are treated by their customers, the schools. As school districts have coped with budgetary shortfalls, a good working relationship with them has allowed the company to implement cost-cutting solutions.
Lenon also tries to keep her fleet ahead of the curve, implementing new safety equipment and standards before they are mandated, and surpassing contractual, state and federal requirements. Keeping kids safe inside the bus is also a priority, with managing behavioral problems on the top of the list.
"It may be more challenging to have a regular-ed bus with some ADHD kids on there than a special-needs bus that has fewer children," says Lenon.
Drivers receive regular training and also are given the freedom to focus on their job. "We hire separate staff to do the sweeping and washing," Lenon says. "The drivers don’t have to check the oil and water, the mechanics do that. We’d rather have them concentrate on the kids and the road."
Path to success is through consistency
WYOMING
Uinta County School District #1, Evanston
FLEET FACTS
Buses: 35
Students transported daily: 1,200
School districts served: 7
Staff: 40
Area of service: 1,028 square miles
Average driver wage: $10.50
Website: www.uinta1.k12.wy.us
Consistency is the key to success for this operation in southwestern Wyoming. "It's our strongest point," says George Dickerson, fleet maintenance supervisor.
This emphasis on consistency comes from Transportation Coordinator John Currie, a former Marine Corps officer. "He's extremely meticulous and very thorough," Dicker son says.
Currie has been with the district since 1984, but will likely miss the entire 2003-04 school year because of illness.
Dennis Wegner, president of the Wyoming Association for Pupil Transportation, credits Currie with assisting other school districts in the state with their auditing programs. "John's been extremely helpful and has been active in the association," he says.
Given the harsh winters in Wyoming, Dickerson is proud of the safety record of his 27 drivers. "We've now gone 1.5 million miles without a preventable accident," he says. "Earlier, we almost hit 2 million miles. We’re hoping to make it all the way this time."
The admirable safety record is especially impressive when you factor in the age of Uinta's fleet. About three-quarters of the 35 buses are at least 3 years old. "And we’re still running a dozen 1983 and earlier gasoline-powered buses," says Dickerson, who has been maintaining the fleet by himself. The district’s other mechanic has been on military assignment in Kuwait for the past six months. "I'm keeping my head above water," Dickerson says.
Dickerson would like to see a bus replacement program instituted. Over the past several years, the only new bus purchases approved by the school board were funded with windfalls, such as settlement funds from a lawsuit.
Morale is good despite the condition of the district’s equipment. "We're like one big family here," Dickerson says. Most of the drivers are housewives, which works out well.
Turnover hasn’t been a problem. More than 75 percent of the drivers have been with the district for more than three years. "We've got a consistent core of drivers," Dickerson says.
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