School Bus Inc. ends year on a positive note after bumpy start (2024)

SIOUX FALLS — The year for School Bus Inc. was like a student who started slow but worked hard to bump up their grade.

With retention and hiring of employees and improved on-time rates, School Bus Inc. was able to present a positive end-of-the-year report to the Sioux Falls School Board on Monday night, June 12.

Director of Operations Warren Lanphier started his presentation by introducing three long-time employees who have 115 years of experience behind them heading into next year.

That was an example, he said, of the private company’s efforts to try to retain employees as they are offering a 5% bonus pay increase for those drivers and other employees who return this coming fall.

Overall, he said the retention rate increased to 66% this past school year, and would have been 74% except for retirements, compared to 61% the year before.

Also, Lanphier said the number of employees increased from 188 to 206.

With the staffing gains, he said the on-time performance for buses arriving at destinations increased from in the 80% range at the beginning of the school year to 98% in the last three months.

The on-time performance had been a key issue before the school board in its contract with the company as parents were often complaining about students being late to school or having to stand out in the cold weather for longer periods of time.

The rate steadily increased during the year with a final figure of 93% in the first three months of the year, to 96% in the second quarter then to 95% in the winter in the midst of one of the city’s heaviest snowfalls. It then ended in May with that 98% figure.

Not only did school board members offer positive comments on the improvements by the company in the past year, but so did the long-time employees in an interview after the meeting.

Connie Tieszen, who drives special education students and has been with the company for 43 years, and Susan Anderson, who rides on the buses as a special needs assistant and has 36 years of service, said they were concerned when the family operation sold the business to School Bus Inc. two years ago.

But they have been pleased with the new operators, especially those who took over this past year.

“They are great guys, very nice people,” said Anderson of the new company leaders.

Another longtime driver, Duane Versteegh, who has been driving regular routes for the company for 35 years, agreed and said he was concerned after the family sold the business, too.

He’s known for dressing up as Santa Claus during the season while driving and Lanphier noted it was part of the positive work environment they are trying to build.

Contributed / Sioux Falls School District

School Board member Carly Reiter had praise for the improvements, too.

“It’s so important in any business for the people who work there to feel valued and feel that they are invested in,” she said.

Reiter noted the pay increases, recognition awards and parties that the company has been having for its employees.

“You gave us some great examples of things that you are doing and might not expect for bus drivers. But it’s so important to know they aren’t just bus drivers,” she said. “They really do matter and that they aren’t someone who just drives buses but someone who cares.”

Reiter said the bus driver can be the first one a student sees each day and can be greeted with a smile or even a hug.

Superintendent Jane Stavem said she was appreciative of the “tenacity” of the company in the past year.

“We’ve seen other districts dump a company in hopes of finding a company that would fill the role better or having to do a reduction in routes,” she said.

Lanphier had noted that Omaha had to cut routes for 2,000 students and Rochester, Minn., had to curtail special activity routes because of a lack of drivers in the past year.

“But these guys have really stepped up with the accountability factor,” Stavem said. “It’s never perfect, but every day there’s a whole bunch of people driving in traffic in a very busy and growing city which is so complex.”

She said she was looking forward to the next school year as the company continues to work on technology and safety.

Lanphier had told the board earlier that the average age of the buses in the district was seven years, compared to nine years nationally.

He also said they have hired a shop foreman with 22 years of experience with buses and a mechanic crew that has a combined 70 years of experience.

The company, he said, has also implemented a 90-day inspection format for each bus.

As for technology, Lanphier said that about 36% of eligible riders and parents are using the Stopfinder app to follow arrival times for buses. He said the goal next year is to reach at least 40%.

With staffing, he said they should be able to continue improvements, and that he feels positive as he said 81% of districts nationwide can’t find enough drivers.

He said they had a “very successful year” in doing 1,560 runs in the buses each week with drivers logging from 7,000 to 7,500 miles per day or about 1.2 million in the school year.