MENU
SEARCHAudrae Barnes, who oversees yellow bus service for Hattiesburg (Miss.) Public School District, experienced complications from surgery to remove the tumor and was on medical leave for several months, during which time a tornado greatly impacted his operation. Barnes is now back at work and is focused on getting his department fully staffed.
HATTIESBURG, Miss. — After a rough year, things are getting back on track for Audrae Barnes, the director of transportation for Hattiesburg Public School District.
The Hattiesburg American reports that he spent three and a half months in the hospital in late 2012 and early 2013 following complications from surgery for a benign brain tumor.
Then, when he returned home in February, a tornado struck the area, greatly impacting Hattiesburg Public School District’s yellow bus service. As previously reported, the tornado damaged most of the district’s 27 school buses, and the district’s bus garage, transportation center and transportation office also sustained damage.
Although Barnes was on medical leave at the time and in a wheelchair, he made calls to other districts to borrow buses so that his operation could continue to provide service to students.
Now, The Hattiesburg American reports that Barnes is on his way to making a full recovery, and the transportation facility is as well. Barnes’ stamina has improved, and he has moved from using a walker to a cane.
He’s also working to improve his short-term memory and focus on hiring more people in the transportation department.
“I’m down four people,” he told the news outlet. “I look forward to having a complete staff.”
Stop bidding everything and try a simpler way. Here's how cooperative purchasing can streamline purchases while maintaining compliance. Sourcewell breaks down the process in this episode of The Route, sponsored by IC Bus.
Read More →
The alternative transportation company expands its services to traditional yellow buses with the launch of a new division focused on helping school districts optimize their routes.
Read More →
Roberts, 35, serves as the lead IT application engineer for vehicle electrification at First Student, where he helps shape scalable, real-world EV infrastructure to support student transportation.
Read More →
Swazer, 29, serves as director of transportation at Puyallup School District, where he champions student wellbeing and inspires the next generation of industry leaders.
Read More →
Dubas, 38, serves as sales manager and safety advocate at IMMI, where she advances school bus occupant protection through industry education, OEM collaboration, and proactive safety policy efforts.
Read More →
Kramlick, 30, runs operations for TransPar in Hawaii, where he also showed dedication while helping Maui recover from the recent wildfires.
Read More →
Moore, 32, grew up around the school bus, leading him to the classroom and eventually inspiring high-performing teams while bringing operations in house (twice).
Read More →
Baran, 38, serves as transportation supervisor at Odyssey Charter School in Delaware, where he leads daily operations with a focus on safety and professional growth.
Read More →
Maybee, 36, leads transportation operations for Denver Public Schools, where he is advancing equity, efficiency, and cross-department collaboration to improve student access.
Read More →
Higgins, 38, serves as director of industry engagement at TAT (Truckers Against Trafficking), where she equips school transportation professionals with the tools to recognize and report human trafficking.
Read More →
