At a Glance
Students Transported: 52,000 District-Owned School Buses: 1,300 Contractor-Owned School Buses: 700
White Fleet: 1,400 Trucks & Other Equipment
Alternative Fuel Buses: 403 CNG, 100 Ultra-Low Emissions, 90 Propane Total Transportation Staff: 2,204 Total Mileage per Year: 25.9 million miles
bus for students and parents and schools’ average daily attendance funding. “Bringing that to the attention of our state legislators, they
have better sense of why this is so important,” he added. “We need to continue to provide that focus. We are in a much bet- ter state than when they passed these trigger cuts last June. We are in a much better place as an industry.” Much of that improvement rests on the shoulders of the employees, who Boull’t
said have made untold personal
sacrifices for the benefit of the students. Helping matters, many transportation employees know first-hand the importance of school busing not only because it’s their job but because they benefited from the service as youngsters. One of them is Jorge Diaz, a bus driver and assistant supervisor who as a student took advantage of LAUSD’s Permits with Transportation. Te program provides integrated educational experiences by busing Hispanic, Black, Asian and other non-Anglo students to predominantly white schools. In turn, white students are bused to schools that have been historically Hispanic, Black, Asian or other non-Anglo. “For myself, I’ve been a product of public school bus
transportation since 1976. It allowed me to achieve a better education and allowed me to have friends that are still in my life today,” Diaz said. “So I’m very grateful for public school bus transportation.” ■
Meet the LAUSD Transportation Administrators
while on the job, which has almost exclusively focused on transportation. Te director of transportation for the past several school years, Boull’t became the district’s COO last year, a role that includes oversight of food services, procurement, risk management and insurance services, and environmental health and safety, in addi- tion to transportation. Wilkes followed a similar career path, as he was a routing assistant, transportation super- visor, dispatcher, manager and deputy director before his current position. “LAUSD’s merit system offers excellent career ladder
COO Enrique Boull’t (left) and Transportation Director Donald Wilkes With a combined 62 years at Los Angeles Unified, Enrique Boull’t
and Donald Wilkes know the ins and outs of transportation. Both began their careers as school bus drivers, Boull’t in the late 1970s as and Wilkes in 1983 to help pay for their college tuitions. “I was hired as a part-time bus driver, which meant I worked
several hours in the morning taking students to school and again in the afternoon to return students home,” recalled Wilkes. “I liked the split work shift because it allowed me to take college classes during the day and at night.” Tey are examples of how to learn and apply leadership skills
34 School Transportation News Magazine April 2012
opportunities for drivers in the Transportation Services Division,” he said. “Over time, I was able to complete required degree course work and reach some of my ed- ucational goals. Tere is still much I would like to study and learn.” In the meantime, both men are dedicated to help-
ing solve the district’s transportation budget hardships. After all, they know why school buses and those who drive them are vital to the livelihood of so many local students. “Having been a school bus driver, and as a parent, I
value and respect the role school bus drivers play in the lives of students and the contributions they make to student achievement and success,” Wilkes added. ■
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