• Age: 32
• Role: Director of Transportation
• Employer: Little Elm Independent School District
• Location: Little Elm, TX

As a 6-year-old, Jonquez Moore remembers watching his grandfather paint school buses for the local district in Louisiana. He couldn’t shake the allure of that big yellow bus, and found himself embedded in school systems not all that long after.

At first, he worked as a middle school English teacher, basketball and track coach, and then began driving the bus for extra income. After moving to Kerrville in 2017, he was mentored by a transportation director there, who introduced him to the state transportation association, TAPT. That’s when he realized he wanted to make it his full-time career.

After driving, he transitioned into a trainer supervisor at North East ISD and later accepted a position as a facilities/transportation supervisor in San Antonio.

His days start with checking routes, monitoring coverage, and ensuring every bus is safely on the road on time. He juggles driver questions, parent concerns, student needs, training, and of course, those unexpected challenges that require quick thinking.

Moore holds multiple professional certifications, including SMITH System Instructor, Behavior Intervention Instructor, Certified Commercial Examiner, and TEEX Certified School Bus Driver Instructor. He also recently completed Thomas Built Buses’ Transportation Operations Academy and presented at Zonar’s user conference.

He’s a power user of many technologies, too, implementing telematics and camera systems, adjusting bell times to save costs by 15%, earning Clean School Bus funding to replace 10 old buses with electrics and two with propane, and leading the restructuring of shuttle routes and parking to reduce transit time by 20%. These are only some of the many accomplishments he can claim.

From Contracted to District-Operated Buses

The accomplishment he’s most proud of is helping bring student transportation in-house for two different districts. Such a task requires careful planning, clear communication, and strong leadership. Plus the balance of staffing, budget, equipment, and culture shifts.

“Beginning as the department's only employee, he has since hired over 100 staff members and built all key transportation functions, including routing, dispatch, training, safety, scheduling, and operations,” Summer Adams, director at Nacogdoches ISD, wrote about him.

It was through those experiences that he learned the importance of transparency, consistency, and trust.

“Change can create uncertainty, but when you lead with a clear vision and keep students at the center of every decision, people will rally behind the mission,” Moore said.

A Focus on People

It’s the people that Moore loves most about this work, and he believes that leaders should model the expectations they set. “It is about influence, trust, and the example you set when no one is watching,” he said.

Another credo he carries is that strong organizations are built when leaders invest in training, provide clear expectations, and give honest feedback. His guiding principle is simple: Keep students at the center of every decision.

“If it is safe, ethical, and in the best interest of kids, it is the right direction to take,” he said.

Beyond the students he serves, this lens extends to his team, too. Realizing that transportation requires constant teamwork, he makes sure to develop others around him.

Advice for Aspiring Transportation Pros

Remaining humble and teachable are the qualities Moore thinks future leaders must maintain.

He also suggests learning every part of the operation, from the driver’s seat to routing to compliance.

“Build relationships, ask questions, and do not shy away from responsibility,” he said. “This industry rewards those who are consistent, dependable, and student-focused. If you keep safety first and genuinely care about your team and the students you serve, you will build a career you can be proud of.”

Moore hopes to see a day wherethere’s a greater recognition of the role transportation plays in student success, coupled with stronger investment in training and leadership development, and innovative solutions to staffing and funding challenges.

Personally, he never wants to stop developing himself as a leader and mentor. His goals are to strengthen his team, refine systems, and build a culture rooted in accountability, professionalism, and safety.