L
as Vegas isn’t all about the neon-lit night life. It’s not all about the thrill of gambling in the casinos or the many shows. About 2.3 million residents— nearly 22 percent of which are under the age of
18—call the Las Vegas metropolitan area home. Its also the only home Jennifer Vobis has ever known, as she grew up riding to and from class on Clark Coun- ty School District school buses, like the ones she now oversees as the executive director of transportation. She ascended into the position last year, following the retirement of Shannon Evans, who won the School Transportation News Leadership award in 2016. Six years later, STN returned to the district to present Vobis with the since renamed Transportation Director of the Year award.
Born & Raised in Las Vegas Upon graduating high school, Vobis attended the Uni-
versity of Nevada, Las Vegas and received her degree in elementary education with a minor in special education. With her diploma in hand, she returned to the school district in 1995 as an employee. “As a student, I have historical knowledge of what the
district used to be and how it is now,” she said of the benefits of working at the same district she once attend- ed. “Being a student, teacher and administrator in the same district gives me multiple perspectives from a user and customer, to overseeing the department.” Vobis started her career as an elementary school teacher and worked her way to teaching special ed- ucation classes. After continuing her own education and receiving a master’s degree in administration, she became the district’s special education director in 2011. During this time, she worked closely with Evans in rout- ing special needs students on school buses. When Evans was promoted to executive director of transportation in 2014, she encouraged Vobis to join her on a full-time basis. “I was looking for a change, so I applied for it and
got the job,” Vobis recalled of becoming the transpor- tation director. “Part of the reason was because I had the instructional background and the special education background that [Evans] felt was the missing piece for
At-a-Glance
Clark County School District Transportation Operations School Buses in Fleet: 1,921 Students Transported Daily: 120,000+ Total Bus Stops: 34,600+ School Bus Drivers on Staff: 1,362
46 School Transportation News • NOVEMBER 2022
her team at the time.” Vobis explained that having a background in spe-
cial education was an asset as she started to learn the operational side of transportation and developed a very well-rounded perspective of the district. She noted that one thing that stood out to her as she transitioned to the transportation side of Clark County from education is that transportation is more complex than people think. “It’s not as simple as [assuming] anybody can drive a
bus,” she said, adding that she obtained her CDL, which she keeps current, to better understand the bus driver per- spective. “[It is about] what it takes to route students and to plan for routing, bell times, resources and capacity and what the students need and how to train the drivers and how to train transportation aides. There’s a lot to it.” She said she’s able to have better conversations with
principals and teachers on how to provide those student services and what resources are available in transporta- tion to help students succeed. Having that education background is also an asset for her team. Amber Rideout, a site administrator and direc- tor of transportation for the district, explained that Vobis speaks a language rooted in education and special ed in particular that other members of transportation don’t. Vobis has essentially served as a liaison for transportation in how to properly transport students with special needs. “She not only can bring that awareness to the schools
or anyone who’s reaching out, but she can bring that awareness to us,” Rideout said, adding that she’ll ask Vobis what she thinks about certain situations and if another bus is needed to transport certain student populations. “She explains it to me from the special ed [perspective], how this disability will impact and so forth. … She definitely brings that extra layer.”
Living & Working in a 24-Hour City Clark County School District encompasses much more than Las Vegas proper. In fact, in my seven hours onsite, I didn’t step foot on the strip at all. Instead, as I looked out from the main transportation facility, I saw hills and wide-open spaces.
Additional Transportation Employees: 713 Miles Traveled Daily: 140,000+ Service Area: 8,061 square miles
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