are demonstrating readiness, employees who need addi- tional development and areas where the organization has a vulnerability,” he said. “Suc- cession planning should be reviewed regularly rather than treated as a document that is completed once a year and then set aside.”
Balanced Approach For best results, the present
should not be ignored in favor of the future. Arkansas’ McClure stressed
the importance of striking a balance between attracting new personnel, particularly drivers, and rewarding long- time employees. He said that most school districts, including his, have worked to increase their starting pay for bus drivers. But it’s also important to increase pay for long-term drivers in line with higher starting wages. “Experienced drivers will feel
slighted when new drivers re- ceive a level of pay it took them years to get to,” he said. McClure also sees sign-on
bonuses as regressive. “They do nothing to reward loyal and long-term employees,” he noted. “Attendance bonuses allow an opportunity for all drivers to be rewarded.” Another must is putting in
the effort to conduct meaning- ful evaluations. “Substantive, quality perfor- mance reviews are a necessary part of succession planning,” Beaverton’s Feldhan said. This must include feedback on areas of growth, goal setting,
22%
Percentage of transportation directors who said their school districts are significantly or critically understaffed.
60%
Transportation directors who said their
transportation operations do not have a formal
succession plan.
(Out of 50 responses to a School Transportation News reader survey.)
and guidance for profes- sional development if the process is expected to help someone grow into a role with more responsibility. “Transportation lead- ers should begin by recognizing that their most important long-term asset is their people,” D’Andrade noted. “Leaders need to communicate clear expec- tations, provide consistent feedback, recognize strong performance and address performance concerns promptly and fairly.” DeKalb’s Brown said
that he often challenges transportation leaders with two questions: If you did not report to work tomor- row, who could lead your operation? And would that person truly be ready, or would they simply be next? “There’s a big difference
between being next on an organizational chart and being prepared to lead,” he noted, explaining that the succession planning process should be broader than identifying one re- placement for one position. “The goal is to contin-
ually develop people and prepare them for greater responsibility,” Brown said. “That means iden- tifying potential leaders, mentoring and coaching them, cross-training them, exposing them to different areas of the operation, and giving them opportunities to lead before the position becomes available.” ●
40 School Transportation News • NOVEMBER 2026
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