POSITION SUMMARY
The Director of Transportation provides leadership, direction, and oversight for all school district transportation operations. The Director is responsible for providing safe, reliable, efficient, and student-centered transportation services supporting approximately 13,200 students across 26 school sites and overseeing a fleet of more than 100 school buses and other district vehicles.
The Director leads all aspects of transportation operations, including student routing and scheduling, driver and support staff supervision, fleet utilization, regulatory compliance, safety, training, technology systems, parent and school communication, budget management, performance reporting, and continuous improvement.
The Director is expected to use transportation technology and operational data—including Transfinder, Stopfinder, and Infinite Campus—to improve routing efficiency, student safety, communication, accountability, and customer service.
1. Department Leadership & Accountability
Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for Transportation Services.
Establish annual departmental goals aligned with district priorities and student outcomes.
Develop clear expectations, procedures, accountability measures, and performance standards for transportation personnel.
Supervise, evaluate, coach, and develop transportation supervisors, dispatchers, drivers, monitors/aides, mechanics, office personnel, and other assigned employees.
Develop leadership capacity within the department and establish clear lines of authority and responsibility.
Conduct regular operational meetings and communicate expectations, priorities, performance data, and safety information.
Maintain an organizational structure capable of responding effectively to daily operations,emergencies, staffing shortages, and changing district needs.
2. Student Transportation Operations
Direct daily transportation services for approximately 13,200 students and 26 school sites.
Ensure routes are designed and operated safely, efficiently, and consistently.
Coordinate regular education, special education, extracurricular, athletic, field trip, and other district transportation needs.
Monitor route performance, including on-time arrival, ride times, route capacity, mileage, and operational efficiency.
Establish processes for addressing late buses, uncovered routes, double runs, substitute drivers, mechanical failures, and other service disruptions.
Coordinate transportation schedules with school start and dismissal times.
Work collaboratively with school administrators to resolve transportation concerns affecting students and families.
3. Routing, Technology & Data Management
Provide leadership for the effective inplementation and use of district transportation technology, including:
Transfinder
Maintain and optimize student transportation routes.
Evaluate route efficiency, capacity, mileage, travel times, and stop locations.
Use routing data to identify opportunities for consolidation and operational improvement.
Ensure routing information is accurate and updated as student enrollment and transportation needs change.
Stopfinder
Ensure accurate and timely transportation information is available to parents and guardians.
Promote effective use of parent communication, bus location, scheduling, and notification features.
Establish procedures for communicating significant route changes, delays, and service interruptions.
Infinite Campus
Ensure student demographic, enrollment, school assignment, address, and transportation information is appropriately coordinated with transportation systems.
Develop processes to maintain accurate student transportation records.
Work collaboratively with district enrollment, student information, technology, and school personnel to resolve data discrepancies.
Ensure transportation systems are appropriately integrated and data is regularly reviewed for accuracy.
Develop dashboards, reports, and performance measures that allow district leadership to monitor transportation performance.
4. Safety & Regulatory Compliance
Establish a department-wide culture in which student and employee safety is the highest operational priority.
Ensure compliance with applicable federal and state laws, Oklahoma school transportation requirements, district policies, CDL requirements, and other applicable regulations.
Ensure required driver licensing, physical examinations, certifications, background requirements, and training records remain current.
Develop and maintain procedures for pre-trip and post-trip inspections.
Ensure required student checks are completed following each route.
Establish procedures for accident and incident reporting, investigation, documentation, and follow-up.
Review accidents, injuries, safety incidents, and near misses to identify trends and corrective actions.
Coordinate emergency transportation procedures with district safety and emergency management personnel.
Ensure employees receive required and ongoing safety training.
5. Fleet Management
Provide administrative oversight for a fleet of more than 100 school buses and other assigned district vehicles.
Develop short- and long-term fleet replacement plans.
Monitor vehicle age, mileage, maintenance history, repair costs, downtime, and utilization.
Ensure preventive maintenance and required inspections are completed on schedule.
Coordinate with maintenance personnel to maximize vehicle availability and minimize service interruptions.
Maintain appropriate spare-bus capacity.
Develop recommendations regarding bus purchases, replacement cycles, equipment specifications, and emerging transportation technologies.
Monitor fuel consumption and other fleet operating costs.
Maintain accurate vehicle records and documentation.
6. Personnel Management & Development
Develop effective recruitment and retention strategies for bus drivers and other transportation employees.
Maintain appropriate staffing levels to support reliable daily transportation.
Coordinate driver assignments, substitute coverage, overtime, and additional-duty transportation.
Ensure new employees receive appropriate orientation and training before assuming independent responsibilities.
Establish ongoing professional development for transportation personnel.
Promote professionalism, accountability, customer service, and positive relationships with students.
Address employee performance and conduct concerns promptly and consistently in coordination with Human Resources and district leadership.
Recognize high-performing employees and encourage a positive departmental culture.
7. Student & Family Customer Service
Establish Transportation Services as a responsive and service-oriented district department.
Develop clear procedures for receiving, documenting, assigning, and resolving parent and school transportation concerns.
Ensure families receive timely, accurate, and respectful communication.
Monitor recurring complaints and identify systemic issues requiring operational changes.
Coordinate with principals and other administrators when student behavior affects safe transportation.
Ensure transportation decisions consider student safety, instructional time, attendance, accessibility, and family needs.
8. Special Education Transportation
Coordinate with Special Education Services to provide transportation required by student IEPs and other applicable plans.
Ensure appropriate vehicles, equipment, drivers, monitors, and accommodations are provided.
Monitor specialized routes for efficiency while maintaining required student services.
Ensure employees transporting students with disabilities receive appropriate training.
Maintain confidentiality and comply with applicable student privacy requirements.
9. Budget & Resource Management
Develop and manage the annual Transportation Services budget.
Monitor expenditures for personnel, overtime, fuel, maintenance, parts, equipment, technology, contracted services, and vehicle replacement.
Develop multi-year financial projections for transportation operations and fleet replacement.
Evaluate expenditures based on safety, operational need, efficiency, and impact on students.
Identify opportunities to reduce costs without compromising student safety or service quality.
Assist with specifications, purchasing, bidding, contracts, and vendor management.
Hold vendors accountable for contractual performance and implementation timelines.
10. Performance Management, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
Develop, maintain, and continuously improve a comprehensive Transportation Performance Dashboard.
Present the Transportation Performance Dashboard monthly to the Executive Director of Operations and the Assistant Superintendent of Operational Services.
Provide analysis of performance trends, operational concerns, emerging risks, corrective actions, and recommended improvements as part of each monthly presentation.
Identify areas that are not meeting established performance expectations and develop specific corrective action plans, responsible personnel, and timelines for improvement.
Use dashboard data to establish departmental goals and measure progress toward those goals.
Maintain historical performance data to allow district leadership to identify trends and evaluate year-over-year improvement.