Mitzii Smith said the quote, “Challenge yourself forward,” inspired her to not only step outside her comfort zone but to motivate herself in ways she never thought were possible.

“Always moving forward, setting and working toward achieving new goals,” said Smith, the assistant director of transportation for Maine School Administrative District (MSAD) 6.

Smith started her career in pupil transportation when her oldest child was starting school. She said a sign at the kindergarten registration read, “School Bus Drivers Needed! The perfect job for parents of school aged children.”

She admitted that at that time she had no idea answering the call to apply to become a school bus driver would become a career that would span decades and become a passion.

Each year, School Transportation News chooses 10 Rising Stars based on nominations submitted by school districts and companies around the industry. These individuals have shown exemplary commitment and dedication in the student transportation industry and continue to demonstrate innovation in their roles. This year’s Rising Stars are featured in the November magazine issue.

Sarah Marean, the director of transportation for MSAD #6, said in her Rising Star nomination of Smith that in addition to driving a regular route, Smith served as a school bus safety instructor for Yellow Classroom and a lead driver.

She then moved into the office, first as administrative assistant and now as the assistant director transportation.

“Since assuming a managerial position in this department Mitzii has proven herself to be a force for change and innovation,” Marean wrote.

Smith is currently going on her 20th year in transportation.

MSAD 6 has one of the largest fleets in the state of Maine, consisting of 63 total school buses. The district serves an area of 182 square miles in southern part of the state for the towns of Buxton, Hollis, Limington, Standish, and Frye Island.

Read all 2024 Rising Stars profiles in the November issue of School Transportation News.

The transportation department that operates out of the consists of 50 school bus drivers, nine bus monitors, three mechanics and an office staff of six. The route school buses traveling over 5,000 miles a day serving over 3,200 students across six elementary schools, one middle school and one high school.

“We pride ourselves on having made a commitment to propane powered buses, with our fleet now running at 80 percent propane,” Smith added. “We recently installed an 18,000-gallon propane tank and filling station at our facility, and proudly became the first and largest delivery of renewable propane in the Northeast. Further solidifying our commitment to green energy efforts in student transportation.”

This year, Smith also became a Maine school safety specialist, part of a program offered through the Department of Education. The program “focuses on creating safer schools through training, guidance and technical support for the whole school and the whole student,” the Maine DOE website states.

Smith noted that while transportation plays a key role in the school environment, it is often left out of the planning process as it pertains to school safety. “I wanted to bring awareness of the vital role transportation plays,” she said.

Additionally, Smith initiated a collaboration between transportation and Maine DOE speech pathologist Kellie Doyle-Bailey, to learn about the brain science behind emotional intelligence. Marean noted that the collaboration was focused on bringing elements of social and emotional learning to the driver’s seat.

“With the thought that safety begins first with the person behind the wheel remaining present, calm and in control of their own emotions and able to respond to situations as they arise,” she continued.

Smith added, “Our team is the first (and only) transportation department in the state of Maine to focus on prioritizing the individual behind the wheel, to help support them in their daily tasks,” she continued. “We have been able to present at multiple state conferences, sharing our initial success. We are trailblazing new ideas in our state, and hope that it continues to gain momentum in our industry.”

Smith is also an active member of the National Association of Pupil Transportation, serving on two standing committees: Certification and the School Bus Safety Poster Contest. She’s working toward her professional certification as a director of pupil transportation, or CDPT. She is also an active member of the Maine Association of Pupil Transportation, holding the position of president-elect.

Challenges Amid School Start Up

Smith said one of the greatest challenges amid school start-up is ensuring that transportation is finding the most efficient ways to utilize all of its resources.

“After several years of being short staffed, it seems that has now become the norm,” she said. “It requires outside the box thinking, to make sure that nothing falls between the cracks. Our team does a fantastic job of making sure that we meet all the challenges we are faced with.”

Despite the challenges in student transportation, Smith said her favorite part of the job is the impact that her co-workers have on the children they transport. “Drivers and monitors are [a] consistent part of a child’s school day,” she said. “A genuine smile, and ‘Good morning’ really does have the power to shape a child’s whole day!”

Looking to the Future

Going forward, Smith said her goal is to continue to bring new ideas to the department. “Although I see the value in, ‘That’s the way we’ve always done it’ I also recognize the importance of seeking out new ways, and not being intimidated by change,” she said. “Being open to change is vital in our ever changing environment.”

She added that she plans to continue the work that she’s started in SEL to ensure drivers and monitors understand their value. “In five years, I see our team continuing to build on prior successes,” she said. “Encouraging continued learning, seeking new training opportunities, and encouraging certifications. Knowledge is power!”

Outside of work, Smith said she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She loves music, concerts, taking photos and cooking. She noted that her and husband Tim enjoy traveling with their children, who are now adults, having adventures and creating memories.

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The post From School Bus Driver to Assistant Director: Journey of a ‘Rising Star’ appeared first on School Transportation News.

FRISCO, Texas – A TSD Conference audience joined a panel of four experienced female transportation managers in discussng aspects of routing technology usage that can benefit students, parents and transportation staff.

The Sunday panel was comprised of clients of presenter Transfinder and was moderated by Arnold Byrd, the company’s sales enablement specialist.

Lisa Sawyer, transportation coordinator for Tracy Unified School District in central California, has over 90  school buses and 100 staff members. When she started, the department had about 30 buses and routing was done with Excel spreadsheets. While her current solutions of Transfinder and Zonar aren’t the cheapest, she said they provide the best value and usefulness.

“For me, the hardest part was getting the district to realize they HAD a transportation department,” she said, eliciting a roomful of cheers. Prioritizing student safety and collaborating with special education departments helps ensure students with special needs are provided the transportation service they need and are legally required to have.

LoWanda Bowman-Brown, transportation director for City Schools of Decatur in Georgia for the past 11 years, said that paper route sheets had proved inadequate while a technology company they recruited had struggled with modifying technology to fit the smaller district’s needs.

She advised districts to pick what software best fits their unique needs and have the IT team involved the whole way.

“We’re going to need technology but we’re also going to need people.”

LoWanda Bowman-Brown, Transportation Director, City Schools of Decatur (Ga.)

Annette “Kecia” Ling, transportation director at Savannah-Chatham County Public School System in Georgia, oversees 460 school buses serving over 20,000 students. She said she looked for a solution that her staff and parents would be comfortable with and praised Transfinder’s ability to reduce the time spent on routing.

She noted that going away from paper route sheets which could get wet or damaged along the way made it easier for drivers and, by extension, transportation administration. Technology also helps drivers complete tiered routes, she noted, or quickly take over a substitute route in a pinch. For students with special needs, which the district calls “extraordinary students,” it makes their pertinent information readily available for the driver and attendant.

Sandy Dillman, director of transportation for Tomball Independent School District in Texas, leads 200 drivers and attendants who transport 13,000 students daily. She sad that when she started, the internet didn’t really exist and written paper routes caused confusion. She reviewed the districts of various sizes that she’d worked with over her decades in the industry and underscored that preemptive parent communication is essential to remove burdens from transportation’s daily load.

With school bus technology, “everything is at your fingertips and ready to go where it needs to go,” she said.

Crowdsourcing Advice

A Kansas school bus driver trainer in the audience noted that integration is important so a parent can sign their student up as a bus rider and transportation can easily add them onto a route.

In answer to an attendee question about information sharing to drivers and aides, Ling shared that such information is controlled on the Transfinder side so drivers can only see what they need to know on their tablets.

Sawyer added that notes can be added on student triggers or behaviors that drivers and aides should be aware of. Byrd with Transfinder noted that symbols can be used as such notations instead of labels.

Sometimes technology is required to meet district administrative goals, as was the case for Bowman-Brown in Decatur. Ling advised coming up with a technology implementation process that worked for everyone who needed to be in contact with it.

“Teamwork is the secret sauce that allows common leaders the ability to accomplish unrealistic expectations and achieve uncommon goals in uncommon circumstances.”

– Annette “Kecia” Ling, Transportation Director, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (Ga.)

Dillman praised the peace of mind that comes for both transportation staff and parents in knowing where each student is at any given time. Rather than getting a panicked “we lost a kid” call, staff can be notified of a student who didn’t scan off the bus and easily look up that student’s daily scan details.

Attendee Steven Fernandez, who is director of transportation for Modesto City Schools in California and has 40 years of experience in student transportation, reviewed his progression from handwritten paper route sheets to Excel spreadsheets, and finally to Transfinder’s electronic records and routing. He shared that previously new students were inconsistently added to whatever driver’s route was convenient, but now they are added to the best-fitting and most efficient route.

Another attendee shared that with just two routers she is able to leverage technology to handle all routing needs, readily assign a student to a bus, or easily locate a missing student. “It’s priceless to have that technology,” she stated.

“It’s a game changer,” agreed Bowman-Brown.

The panelists noted that electronic record-keeping, data sorting and report creating helps speed the state reporting process up, reduces human errors, and provides peace of mind. Ling added that they greatly assist emergency responders as well.

Ling also shared how she uses smart routing to add extraordinary students to general education routes, with an attendant if necessary, to better assist their developmental and social goals, as well as achieve better operational efficiency.

Transfinder provides this “very valuable data at the click of a button,” she stated.

When implementing new technology, Bowman-Brown advised giving school bus drivers and aides both training and time to adjust. Allow staff to give feedback and make decisions too, Ling added. Dillman recommended participating in professional development and seeking advice from other districts. Sawyer noted that the patience pays off in the end with efficiencies for all.

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One attendee suggested adding new technology in phases so as to not overwhelm driver. Others said that staff members who are tech-savvy can assist those who aren’t, as well as keep morale up and avoid resentment over the new procedures.

Attendee Lisa Connors, director of transportation for Peabody Public Schools in Massachusetts and a student transporter with almost 30 years of experience, shared her excitement for routing technology to save her a lot of man-hours, late nights and stress. “Right now, we’re just using my brain,” she said.

Byrd noted that both technology and staff knowledge must be utilized for a successful operation. “Technology can’t replace a Lisa,” he remarked.

“We’re going to need technology but we’re also going to need people,” concluded Bowman-Brown.

Byrd noted that technology can be a means to a lasting legacy of positive change in a district. The panelists closed with their technology wishes for the future, which mostly centered on safety for students with special needs.

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