SINCE 1956
A BOBIT PUBLICATION • MANAGEMENT & MAINTENANCE MAGAZINE FOR SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION FLEETS
Top 100 School District Fleets Exclusive ranking of the biggest public school bus fleets Route buses, students transported and other key data News from the Top 100 fleets
Sponsored by:
SBF TOP 100 SCHOOL DISTRICT FLEETS
Sponsored by:
Both Increases and Cuts Common in Big District Fleets SBF’s Top 100 finds that 37% of the school districts returning to the list are running more route buses this year, but a slightly smaller proportion — 35% — are running fewer buses. BY THOMAS MCMAHON, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
M
ore than a third (37%) of the districts returning to SBF’s Top 100 School District Fleets list this year are running more routes buses than they were a year ago. On the other hand, a slightly smaller percentage (35%) of the returning districts are running fewer buses than they were a year ago. The other 26% of the fleets that are back on the Top 100 list this year reported no change in their number of route buses. One of the biggest fleet increases this year, in terms of number of route buses, was at Cobb County School District in Marietta, Georgia. Cobb added 89 route buses this year, for a total of 1,000. In terms of percentage, one of the biggest fleet increases in the Top 100 this year was at Muscogee County School District in Columbus, Georgia. Muscogee’s number of route buses jumped from 231 last year to 271 this year — an increase of 17%.
Top 5 in Ridership SCHOOL DISTRICT
STUDENTS TRANSPORTED DAILY
1. New York City Department of Education . . . . . . . . . 153,359 2. Fairfax County (Va.) Public Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133,845 3. Gwinnett County (Ga.) Public Schools . . . . . . . . . . . 127,296 4. Charlotte-Mecklenburg (N.C.) Schools . . . . . . . . . . 126,000 5. Clark County (Nev.) School District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117,197 Clark County School District in Las Vegas moved into the Top 5 in ridership this year with a daily load of 117,197 students.
• Cleveland County Schools in Shelby, North Carolina, came in at No. 99 with 172 route buses.
New to the Top 100
Should your fleet be on the list?
There are five school districts in this year’s Top 100 that haven’t been on the list before. • Houston County Schools in Warner Robins, Georgia, came in at No. 92 with 212 route buses. • Greece (N.Y.) Central School District joined the chart at No. 95 with 203 route buses. • Boulder (Colo.) Valley School District entered at No. 97 with 190 route buses. • Clear Creek Independent School District in League City, Texas, came in at No. 98 with 179 route buses.
Help us to be as comprehensive as possible in compiling the Top 100 School District Fleets list. If your school district has about 140 or more school buses in route service (including any that are contracted), you should be in the running for the Top 100. Send an e-mail to
[email protected] with your district’s name, number of route buses and contact information, and we’ll send you the questionnaire when we’re putting together the Top 100 list next year.
28
SCHOOL BUS FLEET
•
OCTOBER 2014
[email protected]
TOP 100 SCHOOL DISTRICT FLEETS OF 2014 RANK SCHOOL DISTRICT
ROUTE ROUTE CHANGE TOTAL SMALL LARGE CONTRACTOR STUDENTS ANNUAL BUSES BUSES 2014 VS. BUSES BUSES BUSES BUSES TRANSPORTED ROUTE 2014 2013 2013 DAILY MILEAGE
1
New York City Department of Education
New York
7,650
1,739
7,818
677
153,359
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Lawrenceville, Georgia Clark County School District
Las Vegas
0
Dallas County Schools
Chicago Public Schools*
Chicago School District of Philadelphia*
Philadelphia Montgomery County Public Schools
Prince George’s County Public Schools
Upper Marlboro, Maryland Fairfax County Public Schools*
Fairfax, Virginia School Board of Broward County*
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami Cobb County School District
Marietta, Georgia Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools*
Jefferson County Public Schools*
Louisville, Kentucky
16
Hillsborough County Public Schools
Tampa, Florida 922
890
-48
+32
1,397
1,112
0
60
1,245
1,397
1,010
0
126,000
996
5
0
15
948
1,250
1,150
0
0
9,300,000
23,500,000
22,252,437
18,402,278
n/a
14,700,000
19,087,870
19,801,776
13,322,340
16,000,000
18,000,000
80,000
Charlotte, North Carolina 0
0
0
955
1,150
887
14
955
0
290
60,000
992
1,177
49
13
992
+89
1,220
80,000
911
30
165
12
1,000
1,299
1,396
133,845
Fort Lauderdale, Florida -126
102
0
1,139
1,663
1,534
11
1,013
0
0
81,713
1,058
1,534
13
10
1,058
0
1,237
101,949
1,080
23
0
9
1,080
1,260
761
38,000
Rockville, Maryland -42
506
900
1,146
1,267
1,128
8
1,104
+8
283
26,200,000
22,500
1,112
1,411
1,450
7
1,120
0
1,420
69,718
1,283
30
0
6
1,283
1,450
1,275
117,197
Dallas 0
580
1,602
1,375
1,855
6
5
1,375
+47
1,608
127,296
1,398
+80
0
4
1,445
1,375
1,307
42,100
3
1,455
600
1,590
9,648
Los Angeles Unified School District
1,907
395
3,582
Los Angeles -74
1,985
6,066
1,709
+14
9,648
2
1,635
1,725
-168
66,000
88,452
17
Houston Independent School District
Houston
n/a
18,500,000
19,000,000
16,579,171
28,000
n/a
*Most recent data available
OCTOBER 2014
•
SCHOOL BUS FLEET
29
TOP 100 SCHOOL DISTRICT FLEETS OF 2014 RANK SCHOOL DISTRICT
ROUTE ROUTE CHANGE TOTAL SMALL LARGE CONTRACTOR STUDENTS ANNUAL BUSES BUSES 2014 VS. BUSES BUSES BUSES BUSES TRANSPORTED ROUTE 2014 2013 2013 DAILY MILEAGE
18
Orange County Public Schools
Orlando, Florida
903
903
906
Baltimore County Public Schools
Towson, Maryland DeKalb County School District
Tucker, Georgia
Prince William County Public Schools
Manassas, Virginia Northside Independent School District
San Antonio, Texas
School District of Lee County*
Fort Meyers, Florida Columbus City Schools
Columbus, Ohio
Pinellas County Schools*
Largo, Florida Buffalo City School District
Buffalo, New York
Cypress-Fairbanks Ind. School District
Houston
33
Boston Public Schools
Boston
•
OCTOBER 2014
0
852
**
0
36,000
School District of Palm Beach County
SCHOOL BUS FLEET
852
300
West Palm Beach, Florida
30
+9
451
**Buses owned by city, operated by contractor
621
751
76,890
34
*Most recent data available
630
-15
0
41,730
679
993
76
32
664
9
683
28,500
Guilford County Schools
1,002
72
635
Greensboro, North Carolina +19
755
489
650
+2
210
31
669
674
635
46,000
30
676
+69
0
53,000
630
842
0
29
699
0
789
37,503
Loudoun County Public Schools*
842
65
0
Ashburn, Virginia 0
854
747
700
0
98
28
700
702
845
60,000
27
702
-66
0
79,000
800
825
0
26
734
30
938
65,200
Fulton County Schools
855
0
0
Atlanta 0
938
931
736
-16
0
25
736
776
931
62,000
24
760
+15
0
50,000
750
907
949
23
765
0
949
65,000
Duval County Public Schools*
907
0
0
Jacksonville, Florida -12
949
696
850
0
256
22
838
851
952
70,023
21
851
-32
98
54,000
885
723
940
72,000
20
853
253
460
0
Milwaukee Public Schools*
976
480
899
Milwaukee 0
940
4
856
0
1,064
18
856
903
-3
58,000
17,000,000
14,000,000
14,600,000
11,000,000
9,000,000
n/a
8,500,000
10,000,000
12,000,000
11,737,340
8,700,000
16,000,000
6,850,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Sponsored by: RANK SCHOOL DISTRICT
ROUTE ROUTE CHANGE TOTAL SMALL LARGE CONTRACTOR STUDENTS ANNUAL BUSES BUSES 2014 VS. BUSES BUSES BUSES BUSES TRANSPORTED ROUTE 2014 2013 2013 DAILY MILEAGE
35
Virginia Beach City Public Schools
Virginia Beach, Virginia
612
568
604
Detroit Public Schools*
Detroit Union County Educ. Svcs. Commission
Westfield, New Jersey 335
Polk County School District*
Bartow, Florida Chesterfield County Public Schools
Chesterfield, Virginia
Shelby County Schools*
Arlington, Tennessee Lakewood Board of Education
Lakewood, New Jersey
Henrico County Public Schools
Henrico, Virginia Cumberland County Schools
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Mesa Public Schools
Mesa, Arizona
50
Indianapolis Public Schools
Indianapolis 400
255
356
+158
+44
631
525
35
127
251
596
0
41,000
49
413
290
440
353
398
0
10,500,000
n/a
8,579,244
n/a
n/a
8,000,000
3,665,526
27,500
Howard County Public Schools
541
318
0
Ellicott City, Maryland -16
121
436
446
483
4
46
430
+1
484
24,968
439
n/a
0
46
440
n/a
630
n/a
46
440
5
366
7,007,197
30,055
Harford County Public Schools
635
341
449
Bel Air, Maryland -10
109
403
450
510
48
45
440
+23
464
n/a
34,000
427
+27
296
44
450
435
390
51,297
43
462
210
45
n/a
44,800
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools*
600
667
0
Nashville, Tennessee 0
42
402
500
709
106
42
500
0
604
50,000
502
0
0
41
502
508
698
15,600
40
508
0
335
10,500,000
4,000
Omaha Public Schools*
698
264
530
Omaha, Nebraska 0
599
25
521
0
525
39
521
536
550
6,407,196
18,000
38
536
+32
260
58,000
518
n/a
618
49,762
37
550
n/a
677
0
Anne Arundel County Public Schools*
634
22
741
Annapolis, Maryland 0
699
13
556
0
754
36
556
568
+8
n/a
5,500,000
63,707
25,000
51
San Diego Unified School District
San Diego
12,200
n/a
n/a
n/a
*Most recent data available
OCTOBER 2014
•
SCHOOL BUS FLEET
31
TOP 100 SCHOOL DISTRICT FLEETS OF 2014 RANK SCHOOL DISTRICT
ROUTE ROUTE CHANGE TOTAL SMALL LARGE CONTRACTOR STUDENTS ANNUAL BUSES BUSES 2014 VS. BUSES BUSES BUSES BUSES TRANSPORTED ROUTE 2014 2013 2013 DAILY MILEAGE
51
Austin Independent School District
Austin, Texas
400
400
405
District School Board of Pasco County
Land O’ Lakes, Florida Katy Independent School District
Katy, Texas
Seattle Public Schools
Seattle Seminole County Public Schools
Winter Springs, Florida
Greenville County Schools
Greenville, South Carolina Conroe Independent School District
Conroe, Texas
Frederick County Public Schools
Frederick, Maryland Clayton County Public Schools
Jonesboro, Georgia
Fort Bend Independent School District
Missouri City, Texas
66
Escambia County School District*
Pensacola, Florida 325
OCTOBER 2014
343
30
0
25,280
Shelby County Schools*
•
13
491
Columbiana, Alabama
SCHOOL BUS FLEET
356
2
32
0
493
30,000
68
*Most recent data available
325
0
0
22,000
330
360
0
66
330
104
363
27,226
Caddo Parish Public Schools
464
0
0
Shreveport, Louisiana -70
363
290
400
+11
133
65
330
326
423
n/a
64
337
+14
0
25,000
325
411
0
63
339
16
495
33,221
Brevard Public Schools
427
1
0
Viera, Florida -1
496
453
344
-54
39
62
343
408
492
28,000
61
354
+6
0
16,535
349
350
0
60
355
100
453
31,279
Fort Worth Independent School District*
450
25
0
Fort Worth, Texas -2
478
464
358
0
0
59
356
362
464
24,000
58
362
-6
401
28,000
370
161
0
56
364
205
402
23,500
Cherokee County School District
401
0
0
Canton, Georgia -21
402
520
387
+16
0
56
366
350
520
36,000
55
366
+22
0
20,000
350
426
0
22,000
54
372
14
380
0
Jefferson County Board of Education
440
100
305
Birmingham, Alabama +30
480
202
358
0
507
51
388
400
-5
17,000
5,800,000
n/a
7,500,000
3,591,489
1,400,000
n/a
7,500,000
6,085,994
6,600,000
5,949,500
6,000,000
6,875,780
n/a
n/a
n/a
6,100,000
3,250,000
Sponsored by: RANK SCHOOL DISTRICT
ROUTE ROUTE CHANGE TOTAL SMALL LARGE CONTRACTOR STUDENTS ANNUAL BUSES BUSES 2014 VS. BUSES BUSES BUSES BUSES TRANSPORTED ROUTE 2014 2013 2013 DAILY MILEAGE
69
Anoka-Hennepin School District
Anoka, Minnesota
323
322
320
360
St. Paul Public Schools
St. Paul, Minnesota North East Independent School District
San Antonio, Texas 0
School District U-46
Elgin, Illinois Cherry Creek School District #5
Greenwood Village, Colorado
12
Muscogee County School District
Baldwin County Public Schools
Bay Minette, Alabama Buncombe County Schools
Asheville, North Carolina Hanover County Public Schools
Collier County Public Schools
Naples, Florida Sarasota County Schools
Sarasota, Florida Central Bucks School District
Anchorage School District
Anchorage, Alaska
84
Douglas County School District
Castle Rock, Colorado 243
240
-30
+3
332
315
70
62
310
160
262
253
0
10,454
Douglas County School System
Douglasville, Georgia
•
5,757,000
3,800,000
4,800,000
4,306,412
3,421,937
2,188,260
n/a
3,094,000
2,400,000
4,973,944
6,300,000
n/a
25,000
85
OCTOBER 2014
0
3,500,000
20,000
278
0
190
83
248
310
200
18,300
Doylestown, Pennsylvania n/a
50
0
n/a
320
389
81
249
-6
0
24,000
256
389
0
81
250
+10
312
16,200
240
25
0
80
250
337
228
17,000
Ashland, Virginia +1
30
0
251
301
245
79
252
-1
35
6,400,000
15,000
259
280
0
78
258
-30
370
18,200
291
0
0
77
261
370
262
22,207
Columbus, Georgia +12
35
207
255
307
105
75
267
+40
312
25,160
231
+14
0
75
271
257
191
23,000
74
271
164
296
26,000
Spotsylvania County Public Schools
355
65
0
Spotsylvania, Virginia -12
361
305
304
+27
120
73
292
280
425
38,226
72
307
0
316
38,000
315
355
0
71
315
0
272
35,250
Denver Public Schools
355
50
228
Denver -20
404
95
340
+4
360
70
320
318
+3
15,500
n/a
4,100,000
3,000,000
SCHOOL BUS FLEET
33
TOP 100 SCHOOL DISTRICT FLEETS OF 2014 RANK SCHOOL DISTRICT
ROUTE ROUTE CHANGE TOTAL SMALL LARGE CONTRACTOR STUDENTS ANNUAL BUSES BUSES 2014 VS. BUSES BUSES BUSES BUSES TRANSPORTED ROUTE 2014 2013 2013 DAILY MILEAGE
86
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp.
Evansville, Indiana
241
238
248
Salem-Keizer Public Schools
Salem, Oregon South Bend Community School Corp.
South Bend, Indiana
Spring Independent School District
Houston Houston County Schools
Warner Robins, Georgia
Rockingham County Public Schools
Harrisonburg, Virginia Greece Central School District
Greece, New York
Boulder Valley School District
Boulder, Colorado Clear Creek Independent School District
League City, Texas
34
SCHOOL BUS FLEET
•
OCTOBER 2014
140
150
-10
154
10
193
144
0
17,507
Cleveland County Schools
Kansas City Public Schools
0
0
Shelby, North Carolina
Kansas City, Missouri
193
212
n/a
71
99
100
n/a
283
7,000
98
172
n/a
0
14,000
n/a
220
0
97
179
30
124
11,500
Arlington Independent School District
250
100
10
Arlington, Texas n/a
224
151
n/a
-1
59
96
190
195
226
9,200
95
194
n/a
0
19,000
n/a
245
0
94
203
22
160
14,443
Evergreen Public Schools
267
95
0
Vancouver, Washington +3
255
254
204
-1
3
93
207
212
257
22,612
92
211
n/a
0
25,000
n/a
271
0
91
212
0
351
14,000
Volusia County Schools
271
2
25
Daytona Beach, Florida -36
353
264
249
-9
0
90
213
228
264
20,000
89
219
n/a
0
12,220
n/a
269
0
18,000
88
225
3
304
59
Norfolk Public Schools
272
8
281
Norfolk, Virginia 0
312
18
230
0
299
87
230
238
-7
154
8,000
10,700
1,800,000
3,070,410
3,000,000
n/a
4,211,930
2,914,334
2,045,160
2,400,000
2,200,000
n/a
2,597,213
2,500,000
2,551,211
n/a
2,500,000
TOP 100 STATISTICS
Increase in severe driver shortages
Bought new buses this year?
Severe 25%
Yes 81%
Desperate
4%
None
11% Mild
24% Moderate
No
36%
19%
One-fourth (25%) of Top 100 school districts that filled out an extended survey said that they have a severe school bus driver shortage. Last year, only 13% reported a severe shortage.
More than four-fifths (81%) of the districts surveyed purchased new school buses for the 2014-15 school year.
Average starting driver pay
More than half have unionized drivers
$14.21/hour
Union 58%
Average director salary
$103,373/year Among the Top 100 school districts that filled out the extended survey, the average starting pay for school bus drivers is $14.21 per hour. The responses ranged from $10.80 to $19.46 per hour. The average annual salary of the Top 100 directors of transportation who responded is $103,373.
Non-union
42% More than half (58%) of respondents said that their school bus drivers belong to a labor union.
OCTOBER 2014
•
SCHOOL BUS FLEET
35
TOP 100 ADDITIONAL DATA ROUTE DATA DRIVER INFO SCHOOL DISTRICT CITY Anchorage School District
Anchorage, Alaska
Anne Arundel County Public Schools*
ANNUAL NUMBER ROUTE STARTING ROUTE OF ROUTE MILEAGE HOURLY PAY DRIVER MILEAGE BUSES PER BUS FOR DRIVERS SHORTAGE
DRIVERS BELONG TO UNION?
n/a
249
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Annapolis, Maryland
10,500,000
568
18,486
n/a
n/a
n/a
Anoka-Hennepin School District
Anoka, Minnesota
6,400,000
323
19,814
$14.50
Moderate
Yes
Arlington Independent School District
Arlington, Texas
2,597,213
194
13,388
$13.33
Severe
No
Austin Independent School District
Austin, Texas
5,800,000
400
14,500
$13.90
Mild
Yes
Baldwin County Public Schools
Bay Minette, Alabama
n/a
267
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Baltimore County Public Schools
Towson, Maryland
14,600,000
856
17,056
$12.56
Desperate
Yes
Boston Public Schools
Boston
n/a
664
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Boulder Valley School District
Boulder, Colorado
2,500,000
190
13,158
$15.39
Moderate
Yes
Brevard Public Schools
Viera, Florida
6,000,000
354
16,949
$12.17
Moderate
Yes
Buffalo City School District
Buffalo, New York
6,850,000
699
9,800
$13.69
Moderate
Yes
Buncombe County Schools
Asheville, North Carolina
3,094,000
261
11,854
$11.72
Mild
No
Caddo Parish Public Schools
Shreveport, Louisiana
n/a
337
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Central Bucks School District
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
n/a
250
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools*
Charlotte, North Carolina
18,500,000
992
18,649
n/a
n/a
n/a
Cherokee County School District
Canton, Georgia
1,400,000
366
3,825
$19.36
Mild
No
Cherry Creek School District #5
Greenwood Village, Colorado
3,421,937
271
12,627
$15.27
Severe
Yes
Chesterfield County Public Schools
Chesterfield, Virginia
n/a
508
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Chicago Public Schools*
Chicago
n/a
1,375
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Clark County School District
Las Vegas
22,252,437
1,455
15,294
$15.20
Severe
Yes
Clayton County Public Schools
Jonesboro, Georgia
n/a
339
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Clear Creek Independent School District
League City, Texas
2,551,211
179
14,253
$13.80
Moderate
No
Cleveland County Schools
Shelby, North Carolina
n/a
172
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Cobb County School District
Marietta, Georgia
n/a
1,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Collier County Public Schools
Naples, Florida
4,973,944
252
19,738
$12.26
Mild
Yes
Columbus City Schools
Columbus, Ohio
11,737,340
734
15,991
$16.16
Mild
Yes
Conroe Independent School District
Conroe, Texas
5,949,500
355
16,759
$13.08
None
Yes
Cumberland County Schools
Fayetteville, North Carolina
n/a
440
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Cypress-Fairbanks Ind. School District
Houston
n/a
669
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Dallas County Schools
Dallas
18,402,278
1,445
12,735
$14.50
Moderate
No
DeKalb County School District
Tucker, Georgia
11,000,000
853
12,896
$15.55
Moderate
No
Denver Public Schools
Denver
3,500,000
322
10,870
$14.96
Severe
Yes
Detroit Public Schools*
Detroit
n/a
556
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
District School Board of Pasco County
Land O’ Lakes, Florida
7,500,000
388
19,330
$11.60
Mild
Yes
*Most recent data available
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ROUTE DATA DRIVER INFO SCHOOL DISTRICT CITY
ANNUAL NUMBER ROUTE STARTING ROUTE OF ROUTE MILEAGE HOURLY PAY DRIVER MILEAGE BUSES PER BUS FOR DRIVERS SHORTAGE
DRIVERS BELONG TO UNION?
Douglas County School District
Castle Rock, Colorado
4,100,000
248
16,532
$14.71
Severe
Yes
Douglas County School System
Douglasville, Georgia
3,000,000
243
12,346
$14.98
Mild
No
Duval County Public Schools*
Jacksonville, Florida
9,000,000
851
10,576
n/a
n/a
n/a
Escambia County School District*
Pensacola, Florida
6,100,000
330
18,485
n/a
n/a
n/a
Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp.
Evansville, Indiana
1,800,000
241
7,469
n/a
Mild
Yes
Evergreen Public Schools
Vancouver, Washington
2,400,000
211
11,374
$19.46
Moderate
Yes
Fairfax County Public Schools*
Fairfax, Virginia
13,322,340
1,080
12,336
n/a
n/a
n/a
Fort Bend Independent School District
Missouri City, Texas
n/a
330
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Fort Worth Independent School District*
Fort Worth, Texas
6,085,994
362
16,812
n/a
n/a
n/a
Frederick County Public Schools
Frederick, Maryland
6,875,780
343
20,046
n/a
n/a
n/a
Fulton County Schools
Atlanta
10,000,000
760
13,158
$15.39
Mild
No
Greece Central School District
Greece, New York
n/a
203
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Greenville County Schools
Greenville, South Carolina
6,600,000
356
18,539
$12.80
Severe
No
Guilford County Schools
Greensboro, North Carolina
n/a
676
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Lawrenceville, Georgia
23,500,000
1,635
14,373
$14.14
Moderate
No
Hanover County Public Schools
Ashland, Virginia
2,400,000
258
9,302
$13.80
Severe
No
Harford County Public Schools
Bel Air, Maryland
8,000,000
450
17,778
$14.08
None
Yes
Henrico County Public Schools
Henrico, Virginia
3,665,526
440
8,331
$13.04
Moderate
No
Hillsborough County Public Schools
Tampa, Florida
16,579,171
948
17,489
n/a
n/a
n/a
Houston County Schools
Warner Robins, Georgia
2,045,160
212
9,647
$14.51
Moderate
No
Houston Independent School District
Houston
n/a
922
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Howard County Public Schools
Ellicott City, Maryland
5,500,000
440
12,500
n/a
Moderate
No
Indianapolis Public Schools
Indianapolis
n/a
413
n/a
$14.00
Severe
Yes
Jefferson County Board of Education
Birmingham, Alabama
n/a
400
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Jefferson County Public Schools*
Louisville, Kentucky
19,000,000
955
19,895
n/a
n/a
n/a
Kansas City Public Schools
Kansas City, Missouri
2,500,000
140
17,857
$12.23
Mild
Yes
Katy Independent School District
Katy, Texas
3,591,489
372
9,655
$16.25
Moderate
No
Lakewood Board of Education
Lakewood, New Jersey
n/a
462
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles
9,300,000
1,739
5,348
$15.16
Mild
Yes
Loudoun County Public Schools*
Ashburn, Virginia
8,700,000
702
12,393
n/a
n/a
n/a
Mesa Public Schools
Mesa, Arizona
n/a
430
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools*
Nashville, Tennessee
8,579,244
502
17,090
n/a
n/a
n/a
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami
18,000,000
1,013
17,769
$11.94
Severe
Yes
Milwaukee Public Schools*
Milwaukee
14,000,000
903
15,504
n/a
n/a
n/a
*Most recent data available
OCTOBER 2014
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TOP 100 ADDITIONAL DATA ROUTE DATA DRIVER INFO SCHOOL DISTRICT CITY
ANNUAL NUMBER ROUTE STARTING ROUTE OF ROUTE MILEAGE HOURLY PAY DRIVER MILEAGE BUSES PER BUS FOR DRIVERS SHORTAGE
DRIVERS BELONG TO UNION?
Montgomery County Public Schools
Rockville, Maryland
19,087,870
1,120
17,043
$16.36
None
Yes
Muscogee County School District
Columbus, Georgia
2,188,260
271
8,075
$13.13
Severe
No
New York City Department of Education
New York
26,200,000
7,650
3,425
n/a
None
Yes
Norfolk Public Schools
Norfolk, Virginia
3,070,410
238
12,901
$12.21
Moderate
No
North East Independent School District
San Antonio, Texas
3,800,000
315
12,063
$12.25
Moderate
No
Northside Independent School District
San Antonio, Texas
8,500,000
765
11,111
$12.65
Severe
No
Omaha Public Schools*
Omaha, Nebraska
7,007,197
536
13,073
n/a
n/a
n/a
Orange County Public Schools
Orlando, Florida
17,000,000
903
18,826
$12.50
None
Yes
Pinellas County Schools*
Largo, Florida
16,000,000
700
22,857
n/a
n/a
n/a
Polk County School District*
Bartow, Florida
10,500,000
521
20,154
n/a
n/a
n/a
Prince George’s County Public Schools
Upper Marlboro, Maryland
19,801,776
1,104
17,936
$16.78
Moderate
Yes
Prince William County Public Schools
Manassas, Virginia
n/a
838
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Rockingham County Public Schools
Harrisonburg, Virginia
2,200,000
207
10,628
n/a
n/a
n/a
Salem-Keizer Public Schools
Salem, Oregon
3,000,000
230
13,043
$13.50
Moderate
Yes
San Diego Unified School District
San Diego
n/a
400
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Sarasota County Schools
Sarasota, Florida
6,300,000
250
25,200
$13.17
Mild
Yes
School Board of Broward County*
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
16,000,000
1,058
15,123
n/a
n/a
n/a
School District of Lee County*
Fort Meyers, Florida
12,000,000
736
16,304
n/a
n/a
n/a
School District of Palm Beach County
West Palm Beach, Florida
n/a
630
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
School District of Philadelphia*
Philadelphia
14,700,000
1,283
11,458
n/a
n/a
n/a
School District U-46
Elgin, Illinois
4,306,412
292
14,748
$18.48
Mild
Yes
Seattle Public Schools
Seattle
n/a
366
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Seminole County Public Schools
Winter Springs, Florida
7,500,000
364
20,604
n/a
n/a
n/a
Shelby County Schools*
Arlington, Tennessee
n/a
500
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Shelby County Schools*
Columbiana, Alabama
3,250,000
325
10,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
South Bend Community School Corp.
South Bend, Indiana
n/a
225
n/a
$16.10
Moderate
Yes
Spotsylvania County Public Schools
Spotsylvania, Virginia
4,800,000
307
15,635
$14.84
Severe
No
Spring Independent School District
Houston
2,914,334
213
13,682
$13.80
Moderate
No
St. Paul Public Schools
St. Paul, Minnesota
5,757,000
320
17,991
$14.50
Severe
Yes
Union County Educ. Svcs. Commission
Westfield, New Jersey
n/a
550
n/a
$15.47
None
No
Virginia Beach City Public Schools
Virginia Beach, Virginia
6,407,196
612
10,469
$12.85
Desperate
No
Volusia County Schools
Daytona Beach, Florida
4,211,930
219
19,233
$10.80
Moderate
Yes
*Most recent data available
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SBF TOP 100 NEWS
Florida district trains 1,600 transportation staff, wins award
Orange County (Fla.) Public Schools, which was recently honored by the state for performance excellence, prepared its more than 1,600 school bus drivers, monitors and support staff for the new school year with its annual fall training conference. The event was held over two days at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Among the topics covered were student discipline, bullying, customer service, safe driving strategies, special-needs student management and safe stops. In May, the district’s operations division was one of two recipients of the Governor’s Sterling Award, which is the highest award an organization can receive for performance excellence in Florida.
“The Governor’s Sterling Award winners reflect our focus of making Florida the best state in the nation to live, work and raise a family,” Gov. Rick Scott said. “I congratulate this year’s top-performing Sterling Award recipients.” The district’s operations division provides essential goods and services to more than 187,000 students and 22,000 employees in 184 schools and 16 facilities located in Orange County. It manages transportation, food and nutrition services, safety and security, building code compliance and environmental compliance. Officials said the operations division demonstrates a focus on cost containment through improved efficiency and sustained performance. For example,
Veteran New York director moves to new district Michael Dallessandro recently became transportation director at Greece (N.Y.) Central School District. Dallessandro assumed the new position with the ninth largest district in the state effective Aug. 26. He leaves a position as human resources manager at the Buffalo, New York, location of Rural/Metro Medical, which is a private ambulance and fire protection services provider. Dallessandro has worked in pupil transportation for more than 25 years and has 32 years of experience in emergency services as a volunteer firefighter. He has served as a consultant, trainer, speaker and human resources manager, as well as the transportation director for other districts in New York.
Michael Dallessandro recently became the new transportation director at Greece (N.Y.) Central School District. He assumed the new position with the ninth largest district in the state effective Aug. 26.
Orange County Public Schools prepared its school bus drivers, monitors and support staff for the new school year with its annual fall training conference.
Orange County Public Schools’ operations division received the Governor’s Sterling Award, which recognizes performance excellence. The district’s transportation department has sustained bus on-time arrival at 98% or better.
the division’s budget decreased from $85 million during 2008-09 to $81 million for 2011-12. During this period, the division consistently posted an underbudget aggregate return of $38 million, which afforded more dollars for the classroom. Transportation services improved its performance in several ways from 2010 to 2013, including sustained ontime arrival of buses of better than 98% each year. In addition, the transportation cost per student has been reduced from $914 in 2010 to $869 in 2013. The Governor’s Sterling Award has been given to organizations and businesses in Florida for 22 years. It is awarded by the Florida Sterling Council. The Orange County Public Schools operations division is a first-time recipient of the award. OCTOBER 2014
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SBF TOP 100 NEWS
New director takes helm at Arizona district Jeanne Vandemark has taken over the role of director of transportation at Mesa (Ariz.) Public Schools from Ron Latko, with whom she worked closely, and who retired in May. Vandemark originally hails from Davenport, Iowa, and moved to Arizona in the late 1980s. Before joining Mesa Public Schools, she was a flight attendant for America West Airlines. “I loved the people and the travel, but I worked a lot of weekends and holidays,” she said. A friend suggested that she apply to a school district for a Monday-to-Friday job as a bus driver. She was “shocked at the idea,” she recalled, but figured if she qualified to work on several different series of aircraft, she might be able to drive a school bus. She called the district and found that it was hiring drivers for special-education routes as well as general education. “I was well versed with specialneeds passengers at the airlines, and I thought I would really love working
Police and fire officials donated car seats to Mesa Public Schools (MPS) and worked with the district on a safety video. From left: Douglas Darbyshire of MPS, Mesa police officer Mike Ybarra, Jeanne Vandemark of MPS, Jean DeStories of Mesa Fire Department, and MPS’ David Woods.
with children,” Vandemark said. Vandemark ended up driving a special-education route for 10 years. She was also a support supervisor for five years, and a satellite supervisor for the largest yard in the district for eight years. She said of her new position: “I am learning every day. I love working for
Salem-Keizer launches cyclist safety campaign, cuts idling by 60% Salem-Keizer Public Schools realized a number of accomplishments over the past year. Michael Shields, the Salem, Oregon, district’s director of transportation and auxiliary services, turned an unfortunate experience into a positive outcome after a bicyclist complained about one of the district’s buses and a near miss. Shields’ team invited the cyclist to participate in educating the district’s drivers through a campaign, and his team created a bicycle-bus safety awareness poster in collaboration with Oregon Department of Transportation and the Oregon Bike Racing Association. Meanwhile, the fleet, safety and facilities team reduced excessive idling by 60%, and the transportation team reduced accidents by 59%, added a fourth camera to all buses to improve student safety, and collaborated with technology and purchasing teams to buy and implement new routing software and a subscription for GPS service on district buses and 299 selected vehicles. Additionally, the administration and operations team had three members elected to posts at the Oregon Pupil Transportation Association. This bicycle-bus safety awareness poster and others like it can be ordered from Salem-Keizer Public Schools’ auxiliary services department. Go to auxiliary.salkeiz.k12.or.us/repro.html.
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Mesa Public Schools, and I look forward to the future.” A recent initiative that took place on Vandemark’s watch was car seat donations to the district from the local police and fire department. The departments worked with Mesa Public Schools and the local news outlet on a back-toschool safety awareness video.
Maryland county launches stop-arm cameras on 20 buses PALMER PARK, Md. — Twenty school buses in Prince George’s County Public Schools’ fleet will be equipped with cameras to capture evidence of stoparm running this school year. The school district partnered with the Prince George’s County Police Department on the new stop-arm camera program, dubbed “Safe Cross,” which officials said aims to protect children and prevent accidents. In August, the district and the police department held a press event to announce the program. The event featured a live demonstration with vehicles to show how the cameras work. A spokesperson for the Prince
George’s County Police Department told SBF that each of the school district’s bus lots will have one or two buses equipped with the stop-arm cameras. “It is up to the discretion of the bus yard manager to decide which route to deploy the buses on,” the police spokesperson said. At the press event, police and school district officials gave an overview of the stop-arm camera program and explained its importance. “This allows us the opportunity to safeguard our students who traverse on and off the buses on a daily basis,” said Rex Barrett, head of secu-
Rain-X donates visibility products for 2 districts’ buses Rain-X made a year-long commitment aimed at keeping Houston-area kids safer with a donation to the Spring Independent School District (ISD) transportation department. In preparation for the 2014-15 school year, Spring ISD received Rain-X 2-in-1 Glass Cleaner with Rain Repellent and Rain-X All-Season Windshield Washer Fluid for its fleet of 440 buses and other vehicles. The fleet serves 22,612 Houston-area students on 213 route buses daily. Rain-X, a part of the ITW Global Brands automotive product portfolio, is based in Houston, and officials said that the company wanted to give back to its local community. In addition to keeping windshields clean, Rain-X formula repels rain, sleet and snow with its water-beading technology, according to the company. The technology reportedly causes water on the vehicle windshield to bead up and roll away, enhancing driving visibility in inclement conditions. “We are so excited about our partnership with Rain-X this school year,” said Brian Weisinger, director of transportation for Spring ISD. “Through this donation, our drivers will have the very best products to keep them prepared in even the most unpredictable weather. This also evokes a greater trust in parents and families who know we are dedicated to giving their kids the safest ride to and from school that we possibly can.” Rain-X will also donate its 2-in1 Glass Cleaner with Rain Repellent to the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD transportation services department, which transports more than Brian Weisinger, director of transportation for Spring ISD, accepts a donation 70,000 students and has more of glass cleaner and windshield washer than 1,000 buses total. fluid from Rain-X.
rity for Prince George’s County Public Schools. “In addition, it allows us — with this public information that’s going out right now — to let people know that we’re taking this very seriously and that the violation notices will be issued.” Barrett added that when the district’s bus drivers were told about the stoparm camera program during a recent in-service training session, the drivers responded with “nothing but cheers and applause. They were very excited about this program, because they obviously care very deeply for our students, and they don’t want them to be in harm’s way.”
Texas district honored for hiring military, sees management changes Houston Independent School District (HISD) was recently recognized for its efforts to recruit and retain military personnel. The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve organization, a U.S. Department of Defense office, presented an “Above and Beyond Award” to the district at its board meeting in June. The award is given in limited numbers by state committees to employers who have had at least one of their managers recognized with a Patriot Award. Spc. Benjamin Lytle, an HISD transportation employee and U.S. Army reservist currently serving in Afghanistan, nominated former HISD Senior Manager of Fleet Operations Mark Swackhamer for a Patriot Award. Swackhamer was recognized for providing direct support to Lytle and his family during Lytle’s recent deployment. Swackhamer, a longtime fleet manager and green transportation advocate, ended his tenure as the district’s senior manager of fleet operations in August to take on the role of assistant director of transportation at Humble ISD. Swackhamer had been with Houston ISD for 11 years. At Houston ISD, he earned recognition for his efforts to implement alternative fuels and other green initiatives and implemented an efficient-driving training program.
OCTOBER 2014
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