FIRST TAKE
In the End, Faces Matter More Than Numbers
WRITTEN BY RYAN GRAY |
RYAN@STNONLINE.COM I
f you ever wonder what today’s superintendents seek in terms of school bus data, crack open the 86-page technology request for proposal issued by Dallas Independent School District earlier this year. It’s a
riveting read. One person we spoke to after the RFP’s release in Feb-
ruary referred to the proposal as including everything and the kitchen sink. So we scheduled a sit-down with Dallas ISD Deputy Superintendent Scott Layne last month to talk in part about the proposal, all the school technology it seeks and what the district seeks to do with it. Layne and newly appointed Executive Director of
Transportation Kayne Smith, both of whom grace this month’s cover surrounded by local transportation staff, said the laundry list of solutions indicates the eventual makeup of Dallas ISD’s fleet. In reality, it will likely take several years to implement all the technology, which the district not only wants but that parents demand, such as student tracking on and off the bus and an app that displays real-time bus location as well as arrival times. Ten there are the fleet management tools necessary for the district to uncover efficiencies and save money in both operations and in the garage. Welcome to the new normal for student transporta- tion operations nationwide. If its RFP wasn’t adventurous enough, we profiled
Dallas ISD this month starting on page 28 for the fact that, as the second largest district in Texas and a member of the top 20 nationwide, it is also preparing to under- take the colossal task of managing its own transportation for the first time in forever, since 1927 to be exact. Tat’s when the governmental agency Dallas County Schools was formed by the state legislature to provide transporta- tion services as well as a host of others for local districts. As the county grew, so did DCS’ sphere of influence, and corruption. But the voters spoke last fall and ap- proved the agency’s dissolution by this summer, leaving Dallas ISD and several other area districts with some very big decisions to make. Layne and Smith provided details during our inter-
view in Dallas last month, the day the TSD Conference started in nearby Frisco, Texas, on how the school
12 School Transportation News • APRIL 2018
district plans to bring transportation back in house. Big Data will invariably play a large role. Layne’s and Smith’s recommendations from the submitted bids, certain- ly arrived at with great input and research from local district stakeholders, goes before the school board this month for a vote. It will be interesting to learn how they compared the responses from different vendors to gauge best value versus cost. While we await the decision, our editorial this month also focuses on the many choices school districts across the nation have made or are faced with making. Tese include developing key performance indicators, changing bell times to uncover efficiencies, managing fuel to save money, and, of course, capturing the data that today’s school buses are spewing forth as an increasing number of superintendents are ready and willing to consume it. But just as important as data, more so even, is the human element. No matter how big or small, no school district or any other type of organization can excel with- out a dedicated, knowledgeable staff. Dallas ISD has a lot of priorities as it eyes the start of school in August, but at the top is hiring many of the good people who for years have provided the school bus service for local students and have maintained the vehicles. It’s no coincidence that Smith has a human re- soures background. Tat’s why we also take a fresh look this month at hiring and retention strategies for school bus drivers and other staff, to ensure students get to and from school safely to begin with. We’ll continue to report innovative ways school districts are engaging with their communities to address the ongoing employment shortage and identify cultural and safety fits to their organizations. Because, at the start of the day and at the end of it, what matters most is the people behind the wheel caring for the students.
Ryan Gray, Editor-in-Chief
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