Van Buren Local Schools

Transportation Supervisor Mr. Arian Keeran has developed an expectation of excellence that can be seen throughout the transportation department. That excellence was recognized again in January when, through the work of Keeran and bus mechanic Mr. Jarrod Mellot, all 16 of our buses passed the state bus inspection, but the work doesn’t stop there.

Safety - Our #1 Priority

The safety of bus-riding students and bus drivers are at the forefront of every decision Keeran makes regarding our transportation department, and that starts with the buses themselves. While having all of our buses pass inspection is a priority, beyond that, the focus is on maintaining the buses to ensure student and driver safety.

One step our district has taken to ensure that safety is to purchase, on average, one new bus a year. With a new propane bus costing $155,000, that is not a financial decision Keeran takes lightly, but it is one he must make along with superintendent Dr. Jason Inkrott and treasurer Mrs. Cathy Schuller.

Keeran said, “If we aren’t purchasing a bus every year, the cost to maintain multiple older buses becomes very expensive. We have also begun purchasing only propane-powered buses, which are more expensive initially but cost less than diesel buses over the life of the bus.”

When the Board of Education approved the purchase of a new 78-passenger bus at the November 20, 2025, board meeting, it was determined that a 2007 diesel bus would be traded in to offset a small portion of the cost. While Keeran has pursued grants to offset cost for previous bus purchases, the state is not offering that grant program this year.

While that grant wasn’t available, Keeran applied for and received an $8,566 School Bus Safety Grant through the state, and those funds will be used to purchase and install new, completely illuminated stop signs for four of our buses. Our newly purchased bus that will be arriving in June will also come with one of the new stop signs, so five of our 16 buses will be equipped with the new stop signs for the start of the 2026-2027 school year. Keeran will also continue to seek more bus safety grants or use money as it becomes available from the district to purchase updated stop signs for the remaining buses. We appreciate the effort he puts into securing grants to improve our fleet while saving our district money.

With the addition of the new stop signs, Keeran hopes they and other safety features will deter people from driving around buses when the stop signs are deployed.

“Our bus drivers use the stop sign and flashing lights to give other drivers plenty of time to slow to a stop before students board or exit the bus, but we do have cameras on the buses and can send video of people who don’t obey the stop sign to law enforcement to prosecute the violators,” Keeran said.

Another past safety concern with buses was the impact of extremely cold temperatures. Cold weather is not as much of a concern today because the diesel fuel is purchased with an integrated treatment to handle cold temperatures, and extreme cold does not affect the functionality of the propane buses.

More Than a Route - Appreciative Students Share About Their Bus Drivers

Our bus drivers are essential to our district. Without them greeting students in the morning, returning them home safely after school every day, and driving for extracurricular events, our school could not function as efficiently as it does.

While they don’t always hear the appreciation, here are some examples of why our students appreciate their bus drivers.

Elementary students Josie Steiner and Juicy Blanc Derise, who ride Mr. Matt Conkle’s bus 10, both appreciate how nice “Mr. Matt” is and that he allows them to sit with their classmates on the bus, which makes the ride go quickly every day.

Middle school student Max Shoup also rides bus 10. In addition to agreeing that Conkle is nice, he also appreciates that the bus rules are clearly defined and that people are held accountable to them. The goodie bags Conkle gives to students for holidays don’t hurt, either.

Colton Ramm, another elementary student who rides Mrs. Linda Mars’s bus 7, said what he appreciates most about “Miss Linda” is how she gets him home every day so he can spend time with his family.

High school student Karson Rinker and middle school student Jackson Powers both ride Mrs. LeeAnn Kerr’s bus 6, and what they both appreciate about her is how she tells them what is for lunch every day and encourages them to buy from the cafeteria. Why does she do that? Well, as the head cook for the high and middle school, when she steps off the bus after her morning route, she heads to the kitchen to start preparing the day’s meal before heading back to her bus to take students home. Needless to say, Kerr positively impacts students all day, every day.

These are just a few examples of the work our outstanding full-time and substitute drivers do to support our students and overall district. If you want your own chance to make a positive impact on our students and district as a driver, CLICK HERE to complete an application. If you still have questions, contact Keeran at akeeran@vbschools.net so he can share more about opportunities to become a bus driver.

VB Transportation by the Numbers

While the people in the transportation department and students on the buses are more than just numbers, there are many numbers ranging from the number of buses to the number of miles driven every day that are important to our district.

It is clear that transportation plays a huge role in the success of our district. Our entire transportation team will continue to work every day to ensure the safety of our students so they are prepared to continue their academic growth in our classrooms.