David Spencer

David Spencer
Director of Operations
(352) 463-3297

MAINTENANCE AND TRANSPORTATION

WHOM TO CONTACT IN OPERATIONS

Bronna Sheffield

Operations Secretary

(352) 463-3230

MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT

The Maintenance Department of the Gilchrist County School System is comprised of seven full-time positions and a secretarial position that is shared with the Transportation Department. The Director of Operations oversees the day-to-day operations of the department and reports to the Superintendent.

The Department handles all of the work orders from all five campuses, preventative maintenance schedules, inspections, grounds, athletic facilities, any set-ups for special activities and is directly involved in any new or remodeling construction projects. The five campuses are spread out over approximately 209 acres consisting of approximately 70 buildings and totaling over 735,000 square feet of building space. The majority of the occupied space is conditioned by using chilled water loops that are controlled by computerized energy management systems which provide for conserving energy costs. The buildings that are not computer controlled are equipped with timing devices to minimize energy waste.

TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

1699 US 129 South
Bell, FL 32619
(352) 463-3230 • FAX (352) 463-3423

The Gilchrist County School Board Transportation Department is committed to providing safe and efficient transportation to the District's students. Currently we have 29 full-time routes that provide transportation for approximately 1,500 students.

The bus fleet is equipped with a two-way radio system that allows drivers to contact the schools, Bus Garage or the Sheriff's Department any time while traveling within the District's boundaries. While on field trips outside of the county the drivers are provided with cellular phones that can be used for emergency situations. In addition to the communication systems, all route buses are equipped with video monitoring cameras to ensure uniform discipline and safety for all children while on buses.

New Students

New students should first contact the school that serves their area and complete the registration forms. Once the appropriate forms have been completed the school will contact the Transportation Department for route and stop assignment. The bus driver, bus number and the times for pick-up and drop-off will be assigned and forwarded to the school.

Routes

The routes are designed to maximize safety and to minimize riding time for students. In designing routes the following criteria and guidelines are used:

• Safety concerns or issues.
• Distance from school.
• State, county or private maintained road.
• Distance between stops.
• Additional mileage to route.