100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools

The State of NC recently completed its annual inspection of all Granville County Public Schools (GCPS) buses, including an audit of the Transportation Department’s inventory, control processes and safety records.

In conducting the inspection, officials assign point values to violations or defects, so the lower the score, the better the overall results. For the second year in a row, GCPS received an overall score better than the state average. This year’s score was a 36.4, with the state central region average being a 38.5.

After reviewing the final official report, Superintendent McLean offered her thoughts, saying, “I was very pleased to see us again do better than the state average score, but I was even more pleased to see that there were ZERO problems related to major safety violations with regard to brakes, tires, steering or fuel leaks. I am very proud of Mr. Harry Wilkins and his team in the Transportation Department. This is a job well done.”

In addition to the low inspection score, the report also highlighted the strengths of the department’s inventory control process. Of the approximately $90,000 of parts and supplies currently in the transportation shop’s inventory, the audit found a discrepancy of only $106.90, which was attributed to miscounts of low-cost items such as fasteners and brackets.

The Transportation Department is also given an annual Transportation Information Management System (TIMS) efficiency rating by the state each year using a separate process. This rating is based on how well the district plans its routes and maximizes the ridership, which in turn reduces fuel consumption and mileage on the buses. The higher the efficiency rating, the better the funding formula will be for a district.

This past year, GCPS had a rating of 94.5%, which exceeded the state’s indicator threshold of 90%. This resulted in the maximum funding calculations for the district and was a reflection of the hard work of TIMS Manager Cindy Fain and the Assistant Principals who manage routes and ridership.

Dr. McLean went on to say, “This report and the high marks for the department are also a reflection of the outstanding job done by our bus drivers each and every day. Our drivers continue to do an excellent job of taking good care of our children on our buses. They, more than anyone, know just how precious their cargo is.  They truly are our children’s guardian angels on the road. We thank the public for remembering this in their daily commute as well.”