Login“An Accident Waiting to Happen”: Transportation Director Gives Routing Advice
A webinar sponsored by Zonar saw Katrina Falk, director of transportation routing and training compliance at Madison Consolidated Schools in Indiana, share tools and tips that help her maximize student safety and school bus routing efficiency.
Falk, also a certified pupil transportation specialist through the National Association for Pupil Transportation and frequent speaker at events organized by School Transportation News, Transfinder and Zonar, said Thursday technology provides accountability and efficiency opportunities for managers dealing with ever-rising fuel costs, which have increased to over $5 per gallon for diesel in her area.
When it comes to evaluating planned versus actual routes, she said she uses Zonar maps and reports to carry out route reviews or high-level audits in mid-August and during spring break.
“We do a quick shakedown to make sure everything is going to work properly when school is in session again,” she commented.
She explained that she works with route sheets turned in by drivers, updated student housing or eligibility information, and special education or related accommodations. Her audit keeps safety as the bottom line by confirming safe and appropriate bus stop locations, verifying that students end up where they need to be, and ensuring drivers comply with state and local laws.
She shared the benefits of updated, accurate route sheets, including reduced operational costs, fuel savings, route consolidations or reduction, accurate information on parent apps and therefore happier parents, and improved driver adherence.
Quality data received means quality decisions made, not “garbage in, garbage out,” Falk quipped. She explained that decisions the transportation department makes rely heavily on information flowed in by parents and schools, such as enrollment information and authorized bus stop locations.
She noted that small data entry errors can create large operational and money-wasting problems, such as a bus repeatedly going miles out of the way on a country road to pick up a student who is not there because they moved. Accurate, timely updates about new enrollments, withdrawals, or schedule changes are essential, she said.
Related: From First Day to Fine-Tuning: Webinar Gives School Bus Routing Tips
Related: Ins, Outs of Routing Software Discussed at STN EXPO Reno
Related: New Technology Provides Data to School Bus Routing
Related: TSD Conference Panel Discusses Routing for Students with Special Needs
Related: (STN Podcast E263) Not an Easy Button: Expert Gives School Bus Routing Technology Tips
Falk reviewed two scenarios of school bus drivers deciding to deviate from planned routes for seemingly innocuous reasons that created major safety concerns. In one case, a time-saving change canceled planned right-hand curbside stops which forced students to cross an unsafe curved road with a history of speeding and stop-arm violations.
The other scenario was a driver adding an unauthorized shortcut, which backed the bus down obstructed roads and an uncontrolled intersection. A bigger issue was the driver habitually running late on her morning run and attempting to make up time by making these on-the-spot decisions.
“This is an accident waiting to happen,” Falk pointed out.
A third situation involved incorrect geocoded locations keeping students from showing up on the routing software, preventing almost 1,000 students from being routed correctly. Suitably utilizing technology and manually reviewing it to catch glitches prevents issues from snowballing, Falk stated.
Bryant Maxey, product marketing manager for Zonar, reviewed triggers such as opened doors or stop-arm deployments that capture data points managers can later review, comparing where the bus really went to where it was supposed to go.
Alerts can also be captured for illegal passing incidents, but Falk added that proving stop-arm violations requires data showing bus performed the stop procedures correctly.
Falk advised transportation supervisors to regularly check their incoming data and request updated information or suggestions from drivers.
“Your local knowledge cannot be replaced with technology,” she declared.
Leave the office, take the wheel of a bus, or watch your routes in real-time, she encouraged.
“Make deliberate, decisive changes backed by data and your local knowledge,” Falk said. “All of these pieces have to be there for the puzzle to work.”
Concluded Maxey: “At the end of the day, we’re all trying to be the most efficient and optimized we can be.”
The post “An Accident Waiting to Happen”: Transportation Director Gives Routing Advice appeared first on School Transportation News.
Gladys De Lucio is the Director of Transportation for East Aurora School District 131, one of Illinois’ largest Spanish-speaking districts. With 21 years of experience in school transportation, she oversees daily operations with a strong focus on safety, bus stop planning, and community engagement. De Lucio leads both traditional bus services and alternative transportation programs, working closely with bilingual dispatch teams to support non-English-speaking families. Her deep commitment to equitable access ensures that every student has reliable transit to and from school. She holds a degree from Robert Morris University–Illinois.
Leon Fornelli, MBA, is the Area General Manager of Alternative Transportation at First Alt®, where he leads inclusive student transportation programs across nine states. A seasoned leader in education logistics, Fornelli develops and scales operations from the ground up, always with safety, equity, and innovation in mind. He’s deeply committed to increasing access, amplifying parent and community engagement, and building systems that meet diverse student needs, including non-traditional routes and support. Fornelli also champions technology integration and workforce development in transportation services.
As Vice President of First Alt®, Gregg Prettyman brings more than 13 years of leadership in alternative student transportation and is recognized as one of the original architects of the alternative transportation model. Before joining First Student, Prettyman served as Chief Operating Officer at ALC Schools, where he supported over 400 district contracts across 20 states, and oversaw more than 10,000 student trips each day. Today, he leads a team with over 50 years of combined experience, all focused on helping districts deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation for students with unique needs.
Jonquez Moore is the transportation Leader at Little Elm ISD, where he oversaw the district’s transition from contractor-based service to a district-run operation. A former teacher and coach, Moore brings a unique operational perspective and is known for leveraging real-time data to improve dispatch efficiency, payroll accuracy, and on-time arrivals across a growing fleet.
Jonathan Agenten manages strategy and customer engagement for Bytecurve, working closely with school districts nationwide to improve dispatch visibility, payroll accuracy, and operational performance. With deep experience in K-12 transportation technology, he helps districts modernize workflows and make data-driven decisions.
Bryan Mitchell focuses on helping transportation leaders understand how unified dispatch and payroll systems reduce labor inefficiencies and improve on-time performance.