T
he ongoing school bus driver shortage nationwide, which news headlines appear to indicate has worsened, is a critical safety issue that has inevitably affected educational institutions and their transportation teams. A notable factor contributing to this
challenge is the organizational culture of those teams responsible for the recruitment and retretention of these essential workers. This culture is often displayed in practices that prioritize employee satisfaction. That can make it crucial for transportation teams to partake in community engagement and mutual respect among team members. An effective solution could be adopting the
upside-down triangle model, which emphasizes em- powerment and collaboration among team members rather than top-down leadership models. This shift in traditional hierarchical structures places frontline work- ers at the forefront of most decision-making processes. At the very least, it includes staff early and often in strat- egy discussions. An upside-down-triangle can equip school bus drivers and other transportation staff with the proper tools and communication to get their jobs done correctly and well. And it can encourage management to involve their staff in major decisions to not only assist in retention but also potentially obtain fresh perspectives that can impact the operation’s bottom line.
This shift in thinking, managing and leading could be seen as the driving factors behind the team transitions that enabled six transportation teams nationwide to be named winners of the 2024 Top Transportation Teams Award, including a school district that won for the sec- ond consecutive year and another school district that received the highest overall score. The Top Transportation Teams Award Program has been honoring the best school district transportation departments around the country for the past three years. This program was designed by Transfinder to provide recognition to leaders in the school transportation industry and provide tools for districts to improve their operations. Companies enroll themselves in the selection process, and the highest rated school district departments and
bus companies in North America are determined by anonymous surveys, taken by employees or team mem- bers. The winners this year hail from Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington. The winners of the Top Transportation Teams Award
are then divided into two categories, teams with 100 or more members and teams with fewer than 100 members. In the 100-plus category, Franklin Township Commu-
nity School Corporation, in Indianapolis, Indiana, led the recognition with its second-straight award. It was joined by Central Kitsap School District in Washington, and The School District of Haverford Township in Pennsylvania. Winners in the under-100 category were led by Wa-
Nee Community School Corporation also in Indiana, which tallied the highest overall score. Other winners were Waterloo Central School District in New York and East Peoria Elementary School District 86 in Illinois. New this year was an Honorable Mention award given to bus contractor Palmer Bus Service, based in Minne- sota. The company is the first non-school district to be recognized. Wa-Nee celebrated the achievement at its back- to-school meeting with all staff and a visit from the superintendent. The honor was also shared with the school board at a public meeting. “We believe our transportation office works for the
driving and monitoring staff. Daily we strive to make their jobs easier,” said Amy Rosa, the transportation di- rector for Wa-Nee. “This model works when the staff, in turn, works every day to make the student’s day better. A selfless rather than selfish focus.” In addition, when asked what the core value of their team is and what makes them unique, Rosa said “Family. Our department is often referred to as our transportation family by staff,” she continued.“We have a very self-driv- en workforce in this area. Bus driving is seen as an opportunity to positively impact the lives of others.” This leads to the importance of working closely
with other departments such as human resources and special needs departments. Collaborating with other departments allows workers to accommodate student’s individual needs. “As a district, interdepartmental collab- oration is not only encouraged but required at Wa-Nee,” said Rosa. “We have a solid, continuous, and open-door working relationship with all departments within the
Listen to episode 224 of the School Transportation Nation podcast for a discussion with the leaders at school bus contractor Palmer Bus Services in Minnesota on how the company promotes positive team culture. Listen at
stnonline.com/go/k8.
www.stnonline.com 47
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