The Washington County Public Schools Transportation Department administers a pupil transportation operation that provides one of the lowest per pupil costs in the state. The department arranges and supervises bus routes and schedules for Washington County Public Schools. Transportation recommends awarding of contracts to private bus owners and administers school bus contracts. Transportation also manages county-owned buses and operates a maintenance facility that supplies spares for county and contract buses. This office also develops transportation cost estimates for other school system programs.

About WCPS School Bus Transportation

• Buses travel more than 17,330 miles each day;
• Each day, approximately 110 county-owned buses and almost 70 contract buses begin routes from various locations.
• Buses transport approximately 19,000 students twice each day.
• The transportation department employs approximately 300 certified regular route drivers and substitute drivers.
• Washington County has 458 square miles of terrain, with 28 miles between the eastern and western borders and 18 miles between the northern and southern borders

Other Transportation Department Objectives

• Conduct school bus driver and assistant pre-service and in-service training.
• Serve as a liaison with the local police and the county and traffic/highway safety offices.
• Report and review all school bus accidents and determine preventability.
• Plan and provide approved bus stops and loading and unloading areas at schools.
• Assist schools in enforcing rules governing pupil behavior on school buses.
• Provide an effective school bus preventative maintenance program as well as a repair facility program.
• Maintain a certified group of substitute drivers and assistants for all county buses.
• Provide transportation for students attending the alternative programs.
• Provide transportation for schools providing after school homework programs.
• Provide transportation for schools providing summer school programs.
• Maintain a fleet of vehicles used by WCPS staff to visit schools and attend workshops and/or meetings.
• Provide analysis of necessary adjustments to school beginning and closing times to maintain cost effective bus transportation.
• Evaluates road conditions relative to inclement weather situations.