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Staff in the Fort Worth ISD Transportation Department cheer and clap during an event celebrating the start of the new school year at Southwest High School in Fort Worth on Aug. 4, 2025. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/p>\n
Nathan Graf, the new executive director over the district\u2019s transportation, laid out a sweeping transformation<\/a> plan in the spring that he said included better ways to recruit, staff and route.<\/p>\n The real test comes Aug. 12 when classes begin and buses roll out across Fort Worth. Graf is confident everything is on track.<\/p>\n In May, a Fort Worth grandmother raised concerns<\/a> after her grandson was dropped off more than a quarter of a mile from his home.<\/p>\n Now, families can track their children\u2019s buses in real time through a new app called Stopfinder<\/a>, which displays a little yellow bus crawling across a map as it travels to and from campuses.<\/p>\n The app will alert parents when their children get on and off the bus following a scan of the students\u2019 school-issued badges when they initially hop on the vehicle. Graf expects all schools to have access to Stopfinder later in the fall.<\/p>\n The district has 235 bus drivers after ending last school year with a shortage of 50, Graf said. Schools nationwide have experienced similar shortages in recent years, largely due to compensation and work culture<\/a>.<\/p>\n This school year begins with 194 bus routes, 24 fewer than the previous year.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe have more drivers than we have routes,\u201d Graf said. \u201cWe\u2019re always going to be working on that cushion because we don\u2019t know what our absentee rate will be.\u201d<\/p>\n A fully staffed bus driver corps opens up new possibilities, bus driver Letisha Ginther said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to us actually being able to get out there and focus on training and making sure all of our drivers and buses on the road are as safe as possible,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The district\u2019s top priority is ensuring buses transport students in a safe and timely manner, bus operational manager Melisha Harrell said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThose babies are standing on the corner waiting for you to come pick them up,\u201d Harrell told bus drivers. \u201cThat\u2019s the main reason we\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n Jacob Sanchez is education editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org<\/a> or @_jacob_sanchez<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n
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