September 21, 2009 - The wheels on the bus go round and round.

For John Myers, Director of Transportation at North Colonie Central Schools, that sentence is more of a way of life than a lyric in a popular children’s song.

“Our job is to make it all work,” Myers said. “We have 59 busses running every day, transporting 6,000 students. Our goal is to be as efficient as possible while ensuring safety at the same time.”

With school starting, many would think Myers’ job is just starting as well. However, the preparation for the 2009-10 school year started months ago.

“The preparation for the new year starts with securing requests from parents for day-care as well as non-public school transportation requests and new students,” Myers said. “From there, we start the process of building bus routes.”

Bus routes are put together by a computer mapping program. The district’s Routing Specialist uses the program to “connect the dots” to pick up and drop off students. While this is taking place, the program is adding the time and the total student count. Generally, busses travel empty to the furthest point out and pick up on the way back. In the afternoon, drivers begin dropping off as soon as possible, finishing furthest away or closest to their next school.

Assistant Director Jim Boudreau makes sure all the driver’s records are up to date, to ensure all drivers are ready and able for work in September.

After summer school is over, the bus drivers return for a refresher meeting and to choose their route for the upcoming year. Once every route is assigned, the driver will take their bus out and test-drive the route. They will familiarize themselves with the stops and time the route, in order to be as efficient as possible when school starts.

In the 2008-09 school year, the Transportation Department set a record for bus safety inspections. North Colonie had a 99.37 percent passing rate, the district's best score ever and far above the 90 percent passing rate that D.O.T. considers being an excellent or an "A" rating, Myers said.

"Our mechanics and this department take the job of transporting students very seriously, and their D.O.T. (Department of Transportation) performance is strong evidence of our commitment to safety," he said.

The North Colonie website has an extensive listing of frequently asked questions regarding transportation, as well as policies and bus safety rules. For more information, click Transportation on the homepage.