Bus shift — Staffing changes raise concerns about buses, budgets
A district wide reduction in force approved by the Weston County School District No. 1 board of trustees is resulting in changes to the transportation department, where two positions are being eliminated.
Transportation Director Troy Allen’s last day is June 30, and Transportation Assistant Jessica Stevens resigned effective April 20, Human Resources Director Taylor Borgialli told the News Letter Journal. The staffing changes are part of a broader reduction in force affecting all three school buildings and the transportation department.
Trustees Dana Gordon, Jason Jenkins, Paul Bau, Susan Pillen, Billy Fitzwater and Tyler Mills voted in favor of the RIF on March 11. Trustees Dana Mann-Tavegia and Sean Crabtree voted against it. Trustee Joe Prell was absent. None of the trustees expressed enthusiasm about the cuts, which were tied to budget pressures.
“There are a lot of questions about how the transportation department will operate in the future,” Borgialli said. “What we know right now is that we are going to continue to take care of kids and get them to where they need to go. Change is uncomfortable for many, but we will work together to ensure a successful transition.”
‘Significant challenges’
At the April 8 board meeting, Transportation Coordinator Amanda Purviance said the staffing changes would strain an already stretched system.
“The elimination of positions held by Troy Allen and Jessica Stevens presents significant challenges,” she said.
The district has reduced bus routes from 11 to seven in recent years and lost six drivers and substitutes since 2020, even as transportation demands have increased. The district currently has one substitute driver and is working to train three more, though scheduling limitations have slowed that process. Purviance said that covering routes takes about four hours from her workday, limiting time for duties such as training new drivers.
Allen told the NLJ that about 200 to 250 students are transported daily, depending on weather and time of the year. Fridays typically see more passengers, for example. Bus drivers also assist with transporting students to sports events and field trips throughout the year.
District job descriptions show the transportation coordinator, a 10-month position, is responsible for dispatching buses, scheduling drivers, training staff, processing payroll, assigning substitute drivers, fueling and inspecting buses, and maintaining records. The transportation assistant helps maintain vehicles and fills in as a substitute driver.
Purviance said losing Allen and Stevens removes both operational support and backup drivers.
“Their absence removes two of our most reliable substitute drivers and dispatch support staff,” she said.
Funding pressure
Superintendent Brad LaCroix said the reduction in force was tied in part to changes under Senate File 81, which bases staffing allocations on student enrollment and requires districts to explain when their staffing levels differ from the state model.
“In my opinion we were overstaffed,” he told the NLJ. “The recommendation I made was to try to generate monies that could best fit the student needs and programming.”
At the meeting, Purviance and Allen questioned whether transportation cuts align with how the program is funded because of the state’s reimbursements.
Under Chapter 20 of the Wyoming Department of Education’s administrative rules, school transportation is funded as a reimbursable program, meaning districts are repaid for many actual costs after they are incurred. Those costs include salaries and benefits for transportation staff, fuel, maintenance and repair, insurance, training, equipment and daily operational expenses.
“Expenses incurred, including salaries, fuel, maintenance and general upkeep, are reimbursed the following year,” Purviance said. “Given this structure, I am seeking clarification on the rationale for reductions within a department that is largely self-sustaining.”
Allen said he contacted Trenton Vonburg, the Wyoming Department of Education’s state pupil transportation director, after discussing employment and funding concerns with LaCroix.
“The first thing he said to me is, ‘Do you have a lawyer?’ To me, that’s a pretty big red flag that something isn’t right,” Allen said.
Allen said that he hired attorney Michael Stulken, who told him that there could be a lawsuit and that he reached out to the school district’s attorney. Abbi Forwood, who represents the district, said at the meeting that she had not received an email.
Stulken and Vonburg did not respond to the NLJ’s requests for comment.
Dicky Shanor, chief of staff for the WDE, said districts control staffing decisions.
“Mr. Vonburg’s role in the department is to administer the state pupil transportation program. Any conversation he might have had with Mr. Allen on topics other than that is outside the scope of his responsibilities and therefore not formal guidance from the department. School districts, not the state department of education, are in charge of their own staffing decisions and cash flow.”
Allen confirmed to the NLJ that his last day is June 30, but he declined to answer detailed questions.
“I would like to, but I can’t at this time,” he said.
The changes come as the district works to finalize its budget before the new fiscal year begins July 1. At the meeting, board Chair Billy Fitzwater said Angela Holliday, the district’s business manager, needs to have a funding model by the end of June and the district isn’t sure how much state funding it will receive.
LaCroix said at the meeting that Holliday is very concerned about the budget and indicated he’s trying to bolster the district for future leadership. He told the NLJ in March that he does not plan to seek renewal of his contract, which runs through June 30, 2027.
“It is simple math,” he said. “It’s just a really complex issue. And truly, in a year, if the funding model has surplus money, then the new superintendent gets to add positions. He’s a hero. She’s a hero. But if they’re coming into a position and they have to do this, they’ll never make it.”