La Conner Weekly News - Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper

Change has defined the La Conner Schools Transportation Department the past year.

But one thing hasn’t changed.

The department continues to earn high grades from the Washington State Patrol and Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

State schools chief Chris Reykdal’s June 15 letter states the district “has again completed the inspection of school buses with exceptional results. For the past two years the results in your district have been outstanding.”

La Conner Schools Director of Operations and Planning Bobby Vaughn, overseeing the department since longtime supervisor Kim Pedroza left last fall, praised her for having been able to schedule bus route stops to the minute.

“I really want to celebrate this team,” Vaughn said. “We got a perfect score on the state inspection and to do that it takes everybody.”

But new staff are needed to replace those who have left the district, he said. The department has lost employees to resignations and retirements and is now recruiting, Vaughn told the Weekly News on Friday.

“We want to hire two drivers and a mechanic for next year,” said Vaughn. “We’re also looking to hire a dispatcher for next year.”

Buts routes were condensed from six to four in spring due to driver shortages, Vaughn said. Ridership has remained steady, despite declining student enrollment.

“Our goal,” said Vaughn, “is still to get kids off the bus in an hour.”

Vaughn, in training to obtain a bus driver’s license, praised substitute drivers Mike Compton and Jim Hernandez for filling additional shifts.

“They really helped save us,” he said.

Anyone interested in joining the schools bus driving staff can contact Vaughn at 360-466-3171 or by email at [email protected].

“Whether they have a CDL or not,” he said, “I’d like to talk to them.”