[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6681135,"mediaKeyId","2692167-cb4de957e2c9ac7e2421ada2b6735467","parentId",2692167,"title","Peoria Unified details driver shortage, route changes and corrective steps after student briefly unaccounted for","audioSeconds",13358,"startMs",369000,"endMs",13727000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2692167-cb4de957e2c9ac7e2421ada2b6735467&start=369&end=13727","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2692167-cb4de957e2c9ac7e2421ada2b6735467/thumbnail_369000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6681135/Arizona/Peoria-Unified-details-driver-shortage-route-changes-and-corrective-steps-after-student-briefly-unaccounted-for","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6681135-dd34e2b8edffe7ee25959898e6ee77e4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771016517&Signature=YilhGIcpiRhAdPF7TsBGd-6LQph-HFcZ8dIMgoVFIdx6A-0k48z76KKB2EXeyRdptfn5FtmOdfBe-jCxIZu651aR2s3wfubtmqwfdczQUuKdkttNA8ZSW6FVP2CkHbw44hyh5nCt2a4o6E~Ln0kmZC7fFISmgd0EKoeWvqkM9buVgWP1WusEJOgfcPE3l-qVyiJHFGfwIpaMWIS~GZUzQR8uqVI8IpfOjmkejM6DSSyRRztSiJbodTlf6Z9zfD4oG9Qiq3CIw6A4Ifkb-W6QEUKqhvlG5SY~yCCFmaMGTbx20b4kh-a1XWqO~INc00F0Qbc2ozfHImI6ud6ZpC3ZLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cave Creek Unified District","date","2025-02-17T18:57:49.327Z","article","Peoria Unified School District transportation leaders told the governing board on Wednesday that an ongoing shortage of commercial‑driver‑license holders has forced route consolidations, greater use of outside providers and last‑minute double runs — and that those stresses contributed to a communication breakdown after a January route change left several students on two rosters and a parent reported his daughter missing for about an hour.

The update from Kevin Molino, senior administrator for transportation, and Tommy Sims, director of transportation, outlined staffing shortfalls, an aging fleet and short‑term and multi‑phase steps the district will try to use to stabilize service and improve safety and communications.

Why it matters: School bus service affects daily attendance, family schedules and student safety. The district said the January incident at Vistancia Elementary — in which updated rosters and messages went to parents before school staff were notified, and in which at least one family reported a child unaccounted for for roughly an hour — revealed specific process failures the district plans to fix quickly while also pursuing longer‑term staffing and routing changes.

Molino told the board the transportation office has repeatedly struggled to fill bus driver, assistant and mechanic positions over the past five years. The department said it now runs 97 routes and that this school year 3,866 students registered for transportation; district staff said they transport about 5,500 regular‑education riders and about 650 special‑education riders on a typical day. Molino said the fleet is older than industry recommendations — buses are kept about 15–17 years compared with a 12–15‑year recommendation — and that, in an optimal situation, about 72 buses would be replaced over the next eight years.

Sims described the day‑to‑day effects of the shortage: supervisors, mechanics and administrators sometimes drive routes, drivers do double runs, and last‑minute call‑ins make it difficult to maintain consistent staffing. He said the department has 29 vacancies for driver positions; three drivers were expected to complete testing or training within several weeks. Sims said the district increased base hourly pay for drivers from $17 in October 2021 to $19 in July 2023 and continues recruitment campaigns and a recruiter position in human resources.

Public commenters and staff described the human effects. Noe Andrade, the father of a child at Vistancia Elementary, said his daughter was missing for about an hour and asked the board for accountability: “I want an answer why my daughter was missing for 1 hour,” Andrade said. Joe Blair, a Peoria bus driver since 2008, told the board drivers often leave for higher pay in neighboring districts and urged the board to increase compensation: “Pay us what we’re worth,” Blair said.

David Baron, a former district bus scribe, told the board drivers have no formal representation and said communication between drivers and the district needs work. Reece Stevens, the district’s foster‑care and McKinney‑Vento liaison, described growth in McKinney‑Vento enrollment and noted 60% of those families use transportation services, increasing cost‑sharing pressures with other districts and providers.

District explanation and immediate fixes: Dr. Joe Summers, the superintendent, said the special meeting was called to respond to the Vistancia incident and apologized to families. Summers and Molino reported that routing staff had consolidated three Vistancia bus runs into two, sent a memo to parents and — in error — did not first notify school administrators. That step was later corrected; the district said it now requires school notification and verification before messages go to parents. Sims said staff also will ensure principals have access to the parent‑portal admin view and will continue cross‑training for the parent‑portal messaging role.

Planned next steps: Molino and Sims presented a multi‑phase approach. Immediate steps include increased recruiting and retention work, targeted outsourcing for hard‑to‑fill runs, and corrected communication procedures so school administrators are notified before parent messages are sent. In the near term the district will pilot student ID badges at a small number of schools to log ridership and test tracking procedures; Sims said pilots may run in April–May with broader implementation considered for August. Longer‑term options include additional outsourcing, boundary changes and possible shifts in bell times, though board members and staff noted those would be complex and disruptive.

Board action: The board voted to direct administration to proceed with corrective actions and to report back with status and dates at the Feb. 13 board meeting. The motion was made by Governing Board Member Kevin Tobey and seconded by President Rooks; a roll call vote showed five yes votes from Kevin Tobey, Janelle Bowles, a board member listed as Proudfoot, Mrs. Ewing and President Rooks.

What remains open: District leaders said recruiting remains the primary constraint; Sims said an immediate buffer of additional substitute drivers — a “bank” of reserve drivers — would reduce daily service instability. Board members asked for a clear timeline on the corrective steps, confirmation that schools will always be notified before parent messages, and additional information about outsourcing costs and vendor vetting.

The presentation and public comments prompted the board to record the request for a formal corrective‑action timeline and promised follow‑up at the Feb. 13 meeting. In the meantime, administration said communications and routing practices have been adjusted to prioritize school notification, and the district is pursuing hiring, recruitment campaigns and contract options for short‑term capacity.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Peoria Unified Special Governing Board Meeting with Executive Session (February 4, 2025)","oneSentenceSummary","Peoria Unified School District transportation leaders told the governing board on Wednesday that an ongoing shortage of commercial‑driver‑license holders has forced route consolidations, greater use of outside providers and last‑minute double runs — and that those stresses contributed to a communication breakdown after a January route change left several students on two rosters and a parent reported his daughter missing for about an hour.","taxTitle","Peoria Unified School District (4237), School Districts, Arizona","taxId",13602,"location","Arizona","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6681130,"Peoria Unified told to revert to 2020 Title IX rules; board will await federal guidance before drafting bathroom policy",2746,9850000,12596000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2692167-cb4de957e2c9ac7e2421ada2b6735467&start=9850&end=12596","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2692167-cb4de957e2c9ac7e2421ada2b6735467/thumbnail_9850000.jpg","/articles/6681130/Arizona/Peoria-Unified-told-to-revert-to-2020-Title-IX-rules-board-will-await-federal-guidance-before-drafting-bathroom-policy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6681130-53681c45a4432538c8f9915bf3ed67ab/orig.mp4?Expires=1771016517&Signature=nAfpzmqFyZYFvuE70wPlbl8OQ6eYxj9ehVQNNi7L7RJMjTUoP37K9pGArMQSENFC52DFmMzLXAiDzkaMjS74hTBh1sJa1Jh0SkR4hgskue2O8-QYl089D90o~9pX7HYyjs2mzhgk~VbX0WKMS4mIlPZZGcCwxNsBoe~7FlxFbAIMOYHP435YrsJYz1WGL~pnYCGOFdY7jeGD4dzD511AR6BZLE~xj8YhWhULtsyJsAbbuovcwXnt5mwE986kyY05AwqYmIiszZwmPK0JaoCfuye40ofk~Q-Kt7J6DfUc0NcAMxgUSwOGlSMO99KM7Z3ZMbJ8eT2Vswt6C~Qp~~-9mw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Peoria Unified School District legal counsel told the governing board on Wednesday that federal direction issued after the Jan. 20 executive order instructs districts to treat the 2020 Title IX regulations as the applicable rules for now, and the board agreed to await additional federal guidance before drafting new district policy on bathroom and locker‑room access.

Why it matters: The federal Title IX rules determine how schools handle sex‑based discrimination, harassment and certain student accommodations. Changes to the regulatory definitions and procedures can affect district policy on single‑sex spaces, reporting standards and how schools handle requests for alternate facilities.

Susan Siegel, the district’s legal counsel, summarized recent federal actions: a federal court decision in Tennessee v. Cardona that vacated enforcement of the U.S. Department of Education’s 2024 Title IX rule set, an executive order issued Jan. 20 instructing agencies to rescind guidance documents and to provide sex‑based definitions, and a Department of Education “dear colleague” letter telling districts to rely on the 2020 rules while the new federal direction is implemented.

“The most important thing about this letter is it explains that you should go back to the 2020 rules,” Siegel told the board, adding that the 2020 regulatory standard for identifying actionable harassment remains higher and more specific than the 2024 rules had been.

Board members and public commenters emphasized the district currently lacks a written bathroom policy. A public commenter, Nikki (full name on file), told the board she had repeatedly asked for policy language and said the district had relied on an informal practice: “To say we’re reverting to 2020 policy, there was no policy on bathrooms in 2020,” she said, and urged the board to adopt a clear district policy that addresses privacy and accommodations.

District position and next steps: Dr. Joe Summers, the superintendent, said Peoria Unified did not adopt the 2024 Title IX rule set and is aligned with the 2020 framework. Board members asked for legal guidance and model language; Siegel recommended waiting for the Department of Education to issue clearer guidance within the 30 days the executive order allowed. The board also has scheduled a vendor presentation from the Arizona School Risk Retention Trust at the Feb. 13 meeting to discuss policy options and model language.

Procedural note: Board members considered convening an executive session for attorney advice on Title IX implementation but instead voted — by roll call — not to convene the proposed executive session. The substitute motion to not convene executive session was made by Governing Board Member Kevin Tobey and seconded by a board member recorded as Proudfit; the motion passed 5–0 with all members voting yes.

Where uncertainty remains: Siegel cautioned that several legal questions remain unsettled, including how courts will treat newly filed complaints (for example, a recent complaint filed by the America First Legal Foundation) and how the Department of Education will refine guidance on sex‑segregated spaces and what lawful accommodations should look like. She told the board to expect further federal clarification and advised the district not to rush to adopt a narrowly targeted rule without that guidance.

What the board asked for: Members asked administration and counsel to prepare draft policy options and to bring them back after federal guidance is clearer; the district also will work with trust and policy providers for model language and legal review. Several board members emphasized the need for a policy that protects privacy while accommodating students’ health or safety needs.

The discussion closed with the board and counsel agreeing to monitor federal action closely and to consider model policies from trusted sources before recommending any district policy changes.","Peoria Unified School District legal counsel told the governing board on Wednesday that federal direction issued after the Jan. 20 executive order instructs districts to treat the 2020 Title IX regulations as the applicable rules for now, and the board agreed to await additional federal guidance before drafting new district policy on bathroom and locker‑room access.","actionData","errors"]

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Peoria Unified details driver shortage, route changes and corrective steps after student briefly unaccounted for

Peoria Unified told to revert to 2020 Title IX rules; board will await federal guidance before drafting bathroom policy