The Macomb School District has rolled out a new fleet of 18 fully staffed school buses, including two equipped for handicapped students, plus several smaller buses seating 29 passengers each, Superintendent Patrick Twomey reported.
As the new school year began August 14, typical first-week challenges arose, such as students boarding the wrong buses. But Twomey said the district experienced fewer issues than usual, crediting the extensive route planning by transportation coordinators Scott Schauble and Deb Nelson.
“We had a few concerns, but not a lot,” Twomey said. “That means the routes are mostly working as planned. We expect some growing pains, especially once the athletic schedule kicks in, because we don’t have quite enough drivers for all the athletic buses.”
While all 18 regular routes are fully staffed, the district faces a shortage of drivers for extracurricular trips. Two teachers have volunteered to become licensed bus drivers to fill this gap.
“We won’t have to pull any regular route drivers to cover athletic buses,” Twomey said, highlighting the district’s collaborative approach to resource management.
Meanwhile, progress continues on establishing a new career technical education (CTE) center aimed at providing local students with alternatives to the traditional high school-to-college path. Twomey described a recent summit with representatives from the City of Macomb, MAEDCO, Spoon River College, and neighboring school districts as “very productive.”
“We identified local workforce needs and discussed whether to build the center ourselves or partner with others,” he said. “We envision between five and eight hands-on instructional stations focusing on skills like carpentry, masonry, electrical work, plumbing, welding, and HVAC—skills sought by local manufacturers such as NTNBower, Pella, and Yetter.”
The group is now refining plans, including the amount of space required, the initial programs to offer, and potential construction sites—either on district property or at Spoon River College.
“I’m pleased with the direction we’re headed. We have a roadmap for moving forward,” Twomey said.
