Addressing COCSD Student Transportation Challenges

As Superintendent of Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District (COCSD), I want to share the challenges our schools and community are currently facing with student transportation and express my confidence that we can overcome them together. The safety and reliability of our transportation services are vital for ensuring all students have access to the quality education and programs they deserve. While we face staffing shortages and resource constraints, I hope our collective efforts will help us restore and improve our services.

Staffing Challenges

Our district is experiencing a shortage of bus drivers, and we need your help to turn this around. We are currently down seven drivers and would need to hire seven more to return to pre-COVID service levels. Currently, we have:

  • 5 full-time drivers

  • 2 substitute drivers

  • 2 teachers and 2 mechanics stepping in to help with driving duties

While this temporary solution has allowed us to keep essential routes running, it’s not ideal. Driving mechanics have less time to dedicate to fleet repairs, which can lead to delays and other challenges. Looking ahead, we anticipate losing two more drivers at the end of the school year, leaving us with just three full-time drivers. This situation underscores the importance of finding new drivers to join our team.

Programs and Services Impacted

Our transportation team works hard every day to support five schools and multiple programs, including:

  • Special Education services

  • RISE Resource Center programs

  • Mariposa Preschool

  • Partnerships with Yavapai College

  • 21st Century afterschool programs

In addition, our dedicated coaches have stepped in to drive for activities and athletics, ensuring students don’t miss out on extracurricular opportunities. These efforts highlight our team’s commitment and emphasize the need for long-term solutions.

Action Steps Being Taken

We are actively taking steps to address these challenges and find a path forward:

  • Prioritizing Daily Needs: We temporarily paused field trips outside the Verde Valley to ensure our core transportation services remain reliable.

  • Streamlining Routes: We’ve introduced community stops to make routes more efficient.

  • Recruitment Efforts: We have implemented several strategies to attract and retain skilled drivers, including:

    • Opening the opportunity for teachers to obtain CDL licenses

    • Coaches driving athletic events and white fleet buses

    • Repeated Facebook posts and emails to parents

    • Help Wanted ads

    • Community outreach through the Chamber of Commerce newsletter, City of Cottonwood Facebook, radio ads, and newspaper ads

    • Offering sign-on bonuses for new drivers

    • Increasing pay for drivers

    • Providing retention stipends, attendance incentives, and paid CDL training

    • Utilizing substitute drivers

    • Contracting with the CATS bus service

With these measures, we are doing everything possible to maintain safety and essential services. However, we also recognize that we cannot do this alone—we need your support.

Moving Forward Together

While the challenges are significant, so is our community’s resilience and commitment to our students. We are confident that, with your help, we can recruit the drivers needed to restore our routes to pre-COVID levels. If you or someone you know is interested in joining our transportation team, we encourage you to reach out. Every driver makes a difference! If anyone is interested, visit our website https://www.cocsd.us/ or call COCSD Transportation at 928-634-9679.

We sincerely appreciate your understanding, cooperation, and support during this time. Together, we can ensure our students have the transportation they need to thrive. Thank you for being an essential part of our journey forward.

Warm Regards,

Jessica Vocca, Superintendent