HopSkipDrive’s Uhland also noted that a lack of school
bus driver candidates makes it challenging for districts to recruit, train and manage van drivers and ensure they have enough drivers for the busiest day of transportation but aren’t overstaffed on other days. “This can lead to staff from other departments step- ping in to drive vehicles, taking them away from their valuable roles,” she explained. “Many districts have found that partnering with [an alternative transporta- tion provider] offers a more effective solution. Instead of managing van fleets themselves, they can rely on our network of highly vetted CareDrivers, who can scale up or down dynamically and flexibly as needed, providing safe and reliable transportation. We are proud to partner with so many school transportation teams across the country, helping them meet their goals and support their students.”
Pros and Cons of Smaller Vehicles The use of vans is not only convenient but also cost
efficient. But the vehicles do not boast the safety record or school buses or those who certified to drive them. “In our district, we partner with First Student transpor-
tation for our [school bus] student transportation services, but the district also owns and operates a few vans and small passenger bus options,” said Pyle. “A van purchase over a bus provides a more convenient and cost-effective option when a large bus is not needed in some instances. Factors can include small sporting or specialty events, specialized transportation routes and students who meet criteria for McKinney-Vento. Large bus options still serve a great purpose and the decisions to purchase one or the other are made locally based on how to best meet the need with fiscal responsibility in mind.” Pyle added that utilizing vans with a smaller capacity has a favorable cost per mile. “A good comparison on cost per mile would be to look at this on an average basis,” he explained, adding that Sedalia has found vans to be a more budget-friendly option, though he did not have available data from a recent purchase he could share. “A van on average will cost one-third less to operate (upfront cost and overall efficiency) as compared to a [48-passen- ger] bus. Depreciation occurs more quickly in a van as compared to a bus, but for a quick daily comparison the van or smaller units can run at a much lower cost.” Pyle also noted that vans still have as many routine costs as large buses and must factor into overall deci- sion making to utilize them. “The cost to maintain with regular maintenance, insurance premiums and potential liability if the van is in an accident need to be consid- ered. These same costs are also factors to examine for large bus options,” he said. He concluded that school buses remain the best op- tion for larger groups of students.
32 School Transportation News • JANUARY 2025
The industry is aware of more students potentially being put in harm’s way. First of all, vans are not built to the stringent safety standards of school buses. Then there are the issues of driver training and oversight. A recent survey of magazine readers indicated nearly 63 percent of respondents have received complaints or concerns from parents, school administrators and even some students. But the most vocal have been school transportation staff. Amy Tiedens, the transportation manager for Interme-
diate District 287 in Plymouth, Minnesota, noted a lack of communication between school district and con- tractors can lead to safety concerns. Her state mandates Type III passenger vehicles for student transportation— vans, SUVs, station wagons, taxi cabs or buses that can seat nine passengers plus the driver. Among the require- ments are that drivers must pass an alcohol and drug screening as well as complete eight hours of training each year. The vehicle must pass an annual state inspec- tion and be equipped with mandatory safety equipment, such as a fire extinguisher, and first aid and bodily fluid clean-up kits. But they can’t be painted school bus yel- low, have a stop arm, or be equipped with flashing lamps and signals. “Because of the driver shortage and long distances we
have to schools, it’s easier to transport [some students] via a Type III van,” Tiedens explained. “Years ago, we had no problem. But with a CDL, it’s very strict in Minnesota. A lot of drivers don’t want to do that, so they say I’ll drive a van. They don’t want to drive a big bus.” She said she has encountered some instances with the 12 member school districts Intermediate District 287 supports when students have IEP requirements that they to wear safety vests. The student receives the prop- er child safety restraint system, but when the student boards the Type III van, the operator doesn’t have a required strap for securing the student and CSRS to the van seat, which is a different piece of equipment than on the school bus. “A complaint sometimes from parents is we have kids
who are very low cognitively, have autism, and they will grab anyone or anything within arms reach,” she shared. “The bus is best to keep them separated, but vans aren’t that big, so that’s been a problem sometimes.” Tiedens recently retrained member districts on positive
behavior intervention supports, de-escalating and mak- ing sure they have the correct equipment in each van. She also noted that vans also don’t have seat com- partmentalization like school buses do to provide added protection in the event of a crash. “In vans, if they don’t put their seatbelts on or take them off, you need to really train the driver that if they hear or see something they need to pull over and ask the students to buckle up or they won’t be able to proceed. They have to pay particular attention to that.” ●
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