FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chartiers Valley School District
Office of the Superintendent
Date: February 26, 2026

Transportation Operations – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Introduction

The Chartiers Valley School District is committed to providing safe, reliable transportation for all eligible students. Due to ongoing staffing challenges and a nationwide CDL driver shortage, the District continues to adjust operations to maintain consistent service while planning for long-term stability.

Data in this document was collected and prepared on February 26, 2026. All figures are subject to change as updated information becomes available.

1. How many bus runs does the District currently operate?

Total Daily Runs: 68

• In-House Total Runs: 39
• In-House Van Runs: 6
• Outsourced Van Runs: 2
• Open (Unfilled) Runs: 5

What are “Open Runs”?

Open runs are routes temporarily covered by substitute drivers, merged routes, or contracted services due to staffing shortages. Students are transported safely, but delays may occur.

2. How many drivers does the District need compared to how many we currently have (may fluctuate)?

• CDL Driver Requirement per contract: 58 in-house drivers
• Current CDL Staff (including floaters): 34
• Currently Driving CDL Staff: 30
• CDL Floaters: 4

There remains a significant gap between required and available drivers, impacting service consistency.

3. Why are there transportation delays?

Morning (AM) and afternoon (PM) delays are primarily due to driver shortages.

When drivers call off:

• Routes may be merged.
• Students may be temporarily reassigned to other runs.
• Additional delays may occur.

To minimize disruption, the District:

• Utilizes qualified staff from other departments when possible.
• Coordinates closely with contracted providers.
• Adjusts and reorganizes routes as needed.

 

4. What is the District doing to hire more drivers?

The District is actively recruiting through:

• Indeed job postings
• Constant Contact outreach
• Social media promotion
• Ongoing local advertising

Recruitment remains continuous due to the nationwide shortage of CDL-certified school bus drivers.

5. Does the District outsource transportation services?

Yes. The District partners with outside contractors to supplement staffing and maintain service continuity.  The district has been outsourcing runs since 2013.  

Current Contracted Services

Outsourcing allows the District to maintain transportation continuity during staffing shortages.

6. How does the District communicate about transportation concerns?

The District maintains clear communication channels:

• Operational Oversight: Ongoing coordination with contractors and district radio systems.
• Parent Communication: Central Office serves as the primary point of contact.
• Inter-District Cooperation: Routes may be shared with neighboring districts when necessary.

Transportation Department Contact Information:
Email: transportation@cvsd.net
Phone: 412-429-7011

7. What is the age of the District’s current fleet?

 

8. Why does bus age matter?

Bus age impacts safety planning, operational reliability, and state reimbursement funding.

Safety & Replacement Planning

• State transportation subsidies are significantly reduced once a bus exceeds 10 years of age.
• It is recommended that buses over 10 years old be removed from regular rotation and replaced.
• Bus age is determined by the chassis year, not the body model year.

 

9. How does bus age affect state reimbursement?

When transportation costs are reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), the state applies a reimbursement formula that includes a basic annual allowance per bus based on age.

The formula multiplies the bus’s approved passenger capacity by an age-based rate:

• 1–3 years old: Higher rate per seat
• 4–6 years old: Slightly lower rate
• 7–10 years old: Lower rate
• 11+ years old: Lowest rate

What This Means

Newer buses generate larger reimbursement allowances per seat.
As buses age beyond 10 years, the District receives less reimbursement per seat , even though maintenance costs often increase. The average cost of a new 72 passenger diesel bus cost about $130,000 per vehicle. 

 

10. How does Chartiers Valley compare to other Allegheny County districts?

High Expenditure Ranking:
Chartiers Valley School District ranks among the top 10 highest transportation spenders in Allegheny County.

• Total Expenditures (2023–2024): $4,903,576
• Latest data available from PDE

Low Reimbursement Rate:

• District Recovery Rate: 20.36%

For Comparison:

• Allegheny County Average Recovery Rate: ~30.8%
• Countywide Expenditures: $187.3 million
• Countywide Subsidies: $57.6 million

What This Means

• The District is spending at a relatively high level compared to many peer districts.
• A smaller percentage of those costs (20.36%) is being offset by state funding compared to the county average.
• Potential contributing factors include fleet age, driver shortages, contracted services, and operational structure.
• Long-term transportation planning - including fleet modernization and staffing stabilization - directly impacts financial recovery rates.
• PDE data link
• County Breakdown

 

11. Does the District collaborate with other school districts?

Yes. When needed, the District:

• Shares routes with neighboring districts.
• Coordinates transportation services to maximize efficiency and minimize disruption.

12. What should parents do if they experience a transportation issue?

Parents should contact the Transportation Department directly:

Email: transportation@cvsd.net
Phone: 412-429-7011

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chartiers Valley School District
Office of the Superintendent
Date: June 27, 2025

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Chartiers Valley School District Clarifies Facts Regarding Transportation Contract Negotiations

The Chartiers Valley Board of Directors and Administration issue this statement to provide factual information regarding ongoing transportation contract negotiations and to address recent misinformation circulating on social media and in public discourse.

As stated by the School Board President Dr. Darren Mariano in the Fall 2024, the District remains committed to conducting negotiations in a confidential manner, as is standard practice and legally required. The District does not negotiate through social media or news media, and personnel matters remain privileged and confidential communications.

"Negotiations are conducted privately to protect sensitive information and ensure a fair process for all parties," stated Dr. Mariano. "Discussing specific details in public forums could compromise the Board's ability to secure optimal outcomes for our students and community."

Following productive negotiations on June 5, 2025, with local union representatives and PSEA regional representatives, both parties agreed to reconvene on Monday, June 23, 2025. However, on Thursday, June 19, 2025, the District was notified that PSEA had canceled this scheduled session and offered no alternative dates.

In response, the District immediately reached out via email to request to either keep the scheduled meeting or reschedule for Thursday, June 26, 2025. As of this morning, Friday, June 27, the PSEA representatives have not confirmed their availability or proposed alternative meeting dates.  Instead, they have decided to use this week to continue to incite media stories  and unrest.

To be clear, the District and union remain in negotiations.  One possible outcome is to outsource the transportation responsibilities to an outside vendor.  While negotiations are not yet in a place where the Board can consider formal proposals, the facts being distributed publicly are incorrect.  

The District wishes to clarify several key facts regarding the proposed outside transportation contract that have been misrepresented in public forums:

Employment Security: All current bus drivers would be retained under any subcontracting arrangement. No current driver faces job loss as a result of these negotiations.

Wage Protection: All drivers would maintain their current wage rates. No driver would experience a reduction in pay.

Financial Benefits: The current proposal includes a $3.4 million one-time revenue opportunity through the purchase of the District's bus fleet, while eliminating future expenses related to vehicle leases and maintenance.

Annual Cost Savings: The current proposal is projected to save the District approximately $500,000 annually from the current transportation costs.  This figure could rise if reimbursement rates increase as anticipated and any future expenditures the District obtains from not purchasing replacement buses because of the aging fleet.   At both the April and May 2025 School Board meetings,  a comparison among similar Districts showed that the Chartiers Valley School District transports 3,518 students daily at a cost of approximately $5,300,000.  Comparably speaking, the Moon Area School District buses 4,136 students daily for approximately $3,300,00 and the West Jefferson Hills School District buses 3,379 students daily for approximately $3,100,000.  This information is publicly accessible on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website under the E-tran report.      

The District remains committed to good-faith negotiations and is prepared to resume discussions immediately upon confirmation of the union's availability. The District has consistently bargained in good faith.  The District does not blame local union officials for the dissemination of this misleading information. Rather, the District believes that this is an attempt by the regional PSEA leadership to create a false narrative in order to distort and draw attention away from the true facts.  The PSEA regional representatives have been in possession of this information. However, instead of engaging in protected contract discussions, they chose instead to release false and deceitful information on social media and to local news agencies in the hopes of creating a public response. 

The District does not wish to conduct negotiations in the public arena.  Unfortunately, the level of misinformation being spread by the PSEA regional representatives has forced the District to issue a truthful response.  The District has a responsibility to our community to ensure that accurate information is available when misinformation threatens to undermine the negotiation process.  The District has a responsibility to also investigate how other Districts can bus the same amount of students, or more, for millions of dollars less.  

The District will not allow misinformation to dominate the public’s perception of the bargaining process. We urge PSEA leadership to return to the table so that together, we can reach a solution that supports everyone in the Chartiers Valley School District.

Sincerely,

Dr. Daniel Castagna
Superintendent of the Chartiers Valley School District