Behind the Wheel at Splendora ISD

The Splendora ISD District Leadership Team recently visited the Transportation Department during their monthly meeting. The visit gave district leaders a firsthand look at the systems, people, and planning that ensure students travel safely to and from school each day.

Shop Foreman Abel Vega shared an overview of the department’s operations. Splendora ISD maintains 141 total assets, including 67 school buses, 60 white fleet vehicles, and 15 trailers. The shop features three bus-length service bays and is staffed by three technicians, two of whom hold Master Certifications from the Texas Association of School Bus Technicians. The shop operates from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or later, with a technician remaining on site until all buses have unloaded students.

The department manages 71 general education routes, 20 special education routes, and 3 midday routes, with 5 routes currently open. Each day, Transportation serves 2,467 students and covers about 4,383 miles, totaling approximately 717,889 miles during the school year.

Additional services include 3 after-school late-run buses, 4 McKinney-Vento white fleet vehicles, 2 CTE shuttle buses, 2 SPED white fleet vehicles, and 1 red activity bus used for the Midday Work Program.

Transportation also supports district events and athletics. So far this year, the department has coordinated 809 trips totaling 73,224 miles, including 373 athletic trips and 436 district trips. Of those, 695 trips transported students, and 114 were support trips without students. These trips are supported by 6 trip buses, 2 box trucks, and 3 trip vehicles.

To keep the fleet running safely, the department uses a mileage-based preventative maintenance program and tracks all services, repairs, and parts through RTA fleet management software.

Transportation office staff also manage daily operations, handling 30–50 radio calls per day, around 50 phone calls, numerous emails, daily bus substitutions, and approximately 6 breakdowns per month. They also review around 5 camera footage requests daily and address student behavior reports.

Each morning, the first bus leaves the yard at 5:15 a.m., and dispatch monitors until the last bus returns.

From maintaining a large and complex fleet to managing hundreds of daily communications, the Transportation Department plays a critical role in ensuring that Splendora ISD students arrive at school safely and return home each afternoon. The dedication and expertise of the team keep the wheels turning—literally—every single day.