VIRGINIA — ISD 2142 Transportation Director Kay Cornelius came to Tuesday’s school board working session armed with a busload of details on how the district’s shift to a four-day week will play out when it comes to getting students to and from school.
Cornelius said the impact on morning pickup times will be minimal.
“I’m thinking we’ll be about 10 minutes earlier than we are now,” she said. “We might have a few that’ll shake out a little differently, but my goal is to keep it at 10 minutes. Then in the afternoon, we’ll be about 15 minutes later in the schools, so it’ll be a little bit different. But I don’t see it adversely affecting us a huge amount.”
The district will again have designated stops on longer routes, allowing parents some flexibility to drop their children at those spots for pickup. Communication about route changes will be a priority, Cornelius said.
“The drivers will be calling all their parents. They’ll do that next week, sometime between the 18th and 22nd,” Cornelius said. “We’ve already started doing some Facebook posts to get the information out. And at open house, we’ll be there with tables at each school to help with that.”
Efficiency gains provided by routing software have helped reduce the number of routes from 48 to 29 over the years, she said, with enrollment declines also a factor. The current fleet includes 26 propane buses, two diesel, and one gas-powered bus.
Cornelius cited cost savings from propane, which is significantly cheaper than diesel or gasoline and requires about half the maintenance cost of diesel. Cornelius also noted that propane qualifies for a federal credit of 36 cents per gallon through 2025 but did not know if the credit will be extended beyond that.
“Anytime we roll with a school bus, it needs to be propane before diesel so that you save your money in that,” she said.
Bus prices have climbed sharply, from $100,000 to $160,000 in recent years. To help keep the fleet current, the district has purchased one new bus and three used propane buses from Montana with about 65,000 miles each.
Cornelius also described a new digital tracking system for propane usage that will help identify inefficiencies in driving or idling.
Board member Jarrett Bundy steered the conversation with Cornelius toward driver communications and emergency planning. All drivers are issued district cellphones that can call, text, and use push-to-talk for group calls in emergencies.
“The rule is they can’t touch that phone – they have to be hands free,” Cornelius said. “It’s my rule in the district that you can’t wear a headset like truck drivers wear. I don’t allow that. Public perception is really bad if they see you going down the road wearing a headset, even if you’re not on it.”
When drivers make or receive calls, they’re required to pull over and stop, Cornelius said.
Bundy also asked about bus emergency plans. Cornelius said they exist in all schools and can be improved as needed.
Given multiple bus accidents that occurred in the district last year, Bundy pressed for more details about emergency planning.
“Each school has a crisis management plan, and then I handle the accident scene piece or someone I would designate if I couldn’t be there,” Cornelius said. “I think communication is huge. I keep saying that because I think that’s a part of things, especially when you’re dealing with children.”
Cornelius also described the roles other district personnel and emergency responders play when there’s an accident.
“We can always improve,” she said. “I believe every time when something happens, I learn something. I’m hoping this year we don’t learn a lot.”

Project AWARE update
Project AWARE coordinator Lauren Empson gave a brief update on her work to improve mental health systems for students and staff.
Empson outlined procedures for identifying and helping students in need, including partnerships with Range Mental Health for in-school therapy and psychiatry services. She also highlighted training initiatives in youth mental health first aid and crisis preparedness, and the district’s compliance with state mandates on non-exclusionary discipline.
Superintendent Reggie Engebritson noted that the five-year grant-funded project is in its final year, but the systems it created will remain in place.
“Instead of having a special project, it’s all going to be internal,” she said. “It’s going to be here forever, and we just keep building on a funded project.”
Engebritson also gave a brief overview of Volunteers in Education, the organization that provides tutoring to district students.