38 School Transportation News Magazine September 2011
Transportation Mixes Old, New to Bridge Communication Gap Directors share their secrets to successful communication with district parents
By Michelle Fisher
inputting them on computers, cell phones and automated calling systems. While electronic methods may be the fastest
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way to transmit information, they are not always the best choice, noted Peter Lawrence, trans- portation director for Fairport Central School District (N.Y.). “I make sure I’m at kindergarten orientations and
PTSA meetings. Tese are prime opportunities to connect with parents and the community to really sell your department,” said Lawrence. “We have to put parents’ mind at ease, because they are giving their most precious possession to strangers.” Lawrence said every time he makes a con-
nection he tries to promote the transportation department and what it stands for — safety. Fairport CSD currently runs 120 buses to and from eight school campuses, transporting more than 7,000 students daily. “I am very fortunate to have a great staff who
are very personable and who do a great job of handling complaint calls before they run up the chain. It’s important to be an attentive listener
s the school year begins, transportation directors are no longer dotting their I’s and crossing their T’s on important pre-launch communications to parents but now are
when parents or community members are up- set,” he continued. “In this time of budget cuts, transportation departments need to ensure they are providing excellent customer service.”
COMMUNICATION BUILDS TRUST Websites do have a place in the customer ser-
vice equation, added Lawrence, who has been working to improve his department’s own on- line presence. “My goal is to make it easy for parents to ac-
cess the information they need and also other data, such as the percentage of on-time arrivals or perfect attendance,” Lawrence said. “Let the com- munity know we are tracking this data. Give them a snapshot. Tis could be a great PR tool.” Brian Whitta, transportation director for
Bowling Green (Ohio) City Schools, said his dis- trict’s year-old Facebook page has proven to be an effective tool, especially for communicating with parent-teacher organizations. “If you think you’re over-communicating,
you’re not. It’s easy to get lost in the daily grind and to forget that you are in a public service en- vironment,” said Whitta. In a school district spanning 118 square miles, Whitta said he often works from his personal
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truck, staying connected via phone and e-mail. His department transports about 3,700 pub- lic and non-public school students daily. In the case of school closures or another event, he said he has several options for getting the word out. “Transportation is one of those environments
where you can’t possibly tell people enough good things about what you’re doing, whether it’s through the district website, a mailer or us- ing an automated calling system,” said Whitta, a former transportation consultant at the Ohio Department of Education. “Making sure parents know the good things you do really helps to di- lute those situations when you don’t have the best news to share. Tat’s the way we build trust in the service we’re providing.”
PUTTING A FACE ON TRANSPORTATION Transportation Director and NAPT Board
Member Launi Schmutz said that proactive communication can ease parents’ concerns and prevent a firestorm. After she learned that the Washington County (Utah) School District would not receive as much county funding this school year to provide busing for ineligible students, she immediately phoned the affected families.
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