Lee County Schools Achieves 98% On-Time Bus Arrivals

The School District of Lee County transported 98% of its students to school on time during the 2025-2026 academic year, up 15 percentage points from the previous year and the highest rate in district history.

The district achieved the milestone while adding 14,000 riders, bringing total daily ridership to 61,416 students. Afternoon pickups improved 28 percentage points to reach 85% on-time arrivals.

The district launched the Safe Start Initiative at the beginning of the school year, staggering start times into three tiers: high schools and K-8 schools, elementary schools, and middle schools. The tiered system allowed drivers to complete one route before starting the next.

David Newlan, Chief of Safety, Security, and Fleet Operations, credited school-by-school problem-solving and route optimization for the results. "Moving from 83% to 98% in the morning while absorbing 14,000 additional riders means that for nearly every student in Lee County, a bus now delivers them on time," Newlan said.

The district plans to continue refining routes and schedules.