JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
The Randolph Field Independent School District will provide bus service to and from Randolph Elementary School for the 2013-14 school year to help fill the void left with the discontinuation of transportation by Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph's vehicle operations element.
In a letter to Randolph Elementary School parents published in the July 5 edition of the Wingspread, Lance Johnson, RFISD superintendent, said the district "has the resources available to provide two buses running double routes, both before school and after school, beginning with the 2013-14 school year.
"The routes will consist of two from housing to school and school to housing, and two from the youth center to school and school to the youth center," he said.
The service provided by the Randolph vehicle operations element, which was not an Air Force mission requirement, was terminated due to the effects of sequestration and a resource-constrained environment. The excess resources and capacity previously used to provide the bus service to elementary students are now required to support missions across the joint base.
Johnson said the bus capacity - 72 passengers per vehicle - "should be sufficient to transport the majority of students needing this service," but he also asked parents to provide transportation for their children if they have the capability "to ensure space for those parents who do not have the means to do so."
The superintendent also said the district will need additional bus drivers to provide the service. Prospective drivers must have a Class B commercial driver's license, complete a 20-hour bus certification course and have a current physical; the district will provide information about the certification course and pay the registration fee to anyone who has obtained a Class B commercial license.
Anyone interested in applying for a bus driving position can go to the district's website, www.rfisd.net, for an application and employment information or call the administration office at 357-2300.
Johnson said the district's decision to provide service "was the right decision for the parents and students, and we believe most parents will agree.
"Our decision to provide transportation services was based on our belief that we are here to provide the best education possible in the safest environment possible," he said.