New Transportation Supervisor Takes the Wheel At Granville
Being around school buses comes naturally for Jaimie Sklar, Granville’s newly appointed transportation supervisor.
“I grew up on a bus,” Mrs. Sklar said. “My mom was a school bus driver in my hometown, and I used to go to work with her every day starting in first grade. My favorite smell is a diesel bus yard on a cold winter morning!”
Mrs. Sklar followed in her mom's footsteps after high school, working with the same transportation company. She held positions of mail clerk, bus attendant, office assistant, charter manager, and terminal manager and worked closely with the safety team during her 13 years there.
She attended Ulster County Community College for business and then Mohawk Valley Community College, where she earned her Transportation Management Certificate. She is a licensed school bus driver, a 19A certified examiner and hopes to be certified as a School Bus Driver Instructor (SBDI) within the next year.
After moving to the area three years ago, Mrs. Sklar worked for the county, a moving company, and most recently for a bus contractor called Student Transportation of America. All of these positions were in transportation, but none were with schools.
“It’s always been in my blood, but returning to the school bus world took a while. I was delighted when this opportunity came about at Granville,” she said.
She doesn’t see any significant changes coming to the transportation department this year.
“Our fleet is pretty new, and our bus routing program is excellent, so I think we are in good shape. And our free mobile app, Ride 360, has been a great tool. It gives our Granville families access to their student’s bus schedules, current bus locations, and estimated arrival times at the bus stop. We would love for more families to download it!” she said.
The department faces a few challenges, including the school bus driver shortage.
“There is a school bus driver shortage nationally, so we feel the effects here too. We hope to help by partnering with BOCES to train people who come through the door. A potential driver may have a class A license but not the proper endorsements. We are going to work with them to make sure they can get what they need to drive,” she said.
Mrs. Sklar lives in Saratoga with her husband, two children, and two dogs. She loves to be outdoors and especially likes kayaking, fishing, and hiking.
“We are glad that Mrs. Sklar has joined our Granville community,” said Superintendent Tom McGurl. “Her expertise and dedication align with our commitment to the safety and well-being of our students.”