Bus Program Saving Clark County Schools Money

LAS VEGAS -- They're usually up front at the wheel but a new program has Clark County school bus drivers sitting back as passengers to save money.

It's part of the district's Park Out initiative, that shuttles drivers to and from their bus routes. They call it a win win for everyone, especially students.

Bus drivers say they love it. It not only cuts down on time they spend going to and from bus barns, drivers say the district's gas costs are also going down.

"It's very convenient not only for us but the district also," said Rodney Jackson, bus driver.

Every school day, Jackson's routes total about 40 miles roundtrip.

"Clock in at Arville, go to designated spots, pick up the students, take them to school, drop them off and then return to Arville," he said. Like more than 100 drivers, Jackson services schools in the northwest valley which is no where near the bus yard on Arville.

Being so far away he says fuel costs and wear and tear on buses add up. Clark County School District Transportation Director Frank Giordano says the Park Out program is a good solution.

"The Park Out allows us to leave the buses out in the field, a large group of buses, and only use one or two buses to shuttle the drivers back to the yard." he said.

"What that did was alleviate 30 buses from having to travel 40 miles per day to now only one bus that has to travel that," said Jackson.

"The high schools have parking stalls for the buses. The buses are left there and ready to pick up the students in the afternoon," said Giordano.

With the district's buses traveling about 4,000 miles less a day, the strategy has saved nearly $200,000 in fuel and maintenance costs. But Giordano says the strategy is only effective for driver's with schools further away from the district's two bus barns. Some employees do incur overtime while waiting for the shuttle.

"What we look at is the actual cost for fuel and maintenance versus what it costs us per minute for the driver," Giordano said.

Aside from savings, the program reduces traffic around schools, on the road, and reduces emissions. Now that the first month of school is in the books, officials say they'll look at other routes, to see if even more money can be saved with this shuttle system.