District Overhauls Transportation With GPS Routing, Real-Time Parent App

The Jefferson Union High School District is modernizing how it moves its most vulnerable students. Transportation Director Darnell Garcia delivered a sweeping presentation to the Governing Board on Monday night, detailing a technology overhaul that will replace paper-and-pencil route planning with GPS software and give parents of special education students real-time van tracking by month's end — even as the department struggles with driver shortages that threaten field trip capacity.

• District adopts GPS routing software and plans real-time parent tracking app as transportation routes grow from 16 to 19 to serve more special education students

• Five van driver vacancies and bus drivers filling van routes create a looming capacity crunch as field trip season approaches

• Van drivers pull double duty as campus beautification crew, transforming school grounds during midday downtime between routes

• Board approves new salary range and assistant position to address compensation gaps and growing administrative complexity

• Student advisory program named CSBA award finalist, with a site visit planned for the next meeting

Transportation Director Darnell Garcia — promoted from head district mechanic about a year ago — gave the board its first comprehensive transportation briefing in recent memory, walking trustees through the state of a fleet serving special education students across four communities.