Did You Know?
In her private life, Portee is a wife, mother of four, grandmother to six, and a mentor to young and single mothers. She is also a former board member for a local Denver charter school. For relaxation, she enjoys singing with groups and relaxing in the Colorado Rockies.
“I encourage anyone who’s going to be in my department to go ride a school bus. I ask them to set up a meeting and go visit with all my directors, to understand how they can better interact with them and best support them.”
—Nicole Portee 40 School Transportation News • NOVEMBER 2018
Portee took the Success Express from its inception stage to full implementation in support of true school choice.
time changes. Tey now work direct- ly with the transportation department to mesh bell and bus schedules. “Logistically, it is a nightmare,”
Portee laughed, adding that she appreciates being able to own the process. Tere are currently 83 different school calendars and 63 schools with an early or late timing adjustment each week, which must all be factored into the school bus system servicing 175 schools. Ever in pursuit of increased optimization, Portee brought in a team from School Bus Logistics during the 2015-2016 school year to examine school bus routes and rec- ommend changes for more efficiency and lower costs. Te team cut some routes, combined others, scheduled
athletic trips during the day, and mirrored morning and afternoon routes. Te efforts reduced the total number of bus routes by about 30, which translated directly into fuel savings. Tis past year, an MIT stu- dent cut even further to 254 routes. With so many customizable components of the DPS education system, Porter relies heavily on technology. In 2013, she imple- mented Zonar’s Z Pass to notify parents where and when students get on or off the bus. Not only does it teach student independence, but it also adds accountability for the transportation department in ensuring safety while also address- ing parental and administration concerns, she detailed.
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