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

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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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OCTOBER 2014

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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OCTOBER 2014

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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