FRESNO — As nearly 70,000 students prepare to return to class next week, Fresno Unified School District leaders on Wednesday outlined a tightened set of priorities for the year and a redesigned transportation plan intended to reduce delays and improve supervision at campus drop-off points.
Four district goals, focused planning
Superintendent Misty Her told reporters that staff spent the summer preparing classrooms and setting clear priorities for the academic year. District leaders said they narrowed their focus to four central goals: early literacy, literacy intervention, college and career readiness and life skills.
- Early literacy: districtwide emphasis to support younger readers.
- Literacy intervention: targeted supports for students behind grade level.
- College and career readiness: expanded pathways and readiness efforts.
- Life skills: social-emotional and practical skills for students.
Her said the district is ready to welcome students back, adding that “there is something really special about this time of year. If you walk around our schools, the hallways are ready, the classrooms are prepared and staff is eager to welcome students back.”
New transportation model: campus hubs and bus passes
The district announced a revised bus system that will consolidate stops and move students to a hub-based boarding model. Under the plan, students will board district buses at designated campus hubs and ride directly to their schools, a change officials say will reduce overall stops and limit delays at roughly 42 campuses.
District leaders said the new approach will also provide more adult supervision at boarding points. In addition, Fresno Unified will require bus passes for all riders. The passes are intended to give parents digital visibility into a child’s commute — including whether they boarded the bus, where they are en route and when they will disembark.
"Now you can see if your child got on the bus, where they are in route and when they are going to get off," Superintendent Misty Her said.
Officials said the hub model will "minimize some of the stops" and help reduce delays and traffic; they also framed the changes as a means to increase adult oversight at boarding locations.
Safety partnership and traffic measures
The district highlighted a continued partnership with the Fresno Police Department to keep campuses and nearby roadways safer during arrival and dismissal times. Police Chief Mindy Casto urged parents to follow posted signage and traffic directions.
"Parents, we are asking you specifically, observe signage directed at drop-off points. This is important for your school and traffic safety," Chief Mindy Casto said.
Among traffic-related changes, school-zone speed limits in Fresno have been reduced from 25 mph to 20 mph. District officials said they will rely on the FPD partnership and parental compliance with drop-off rules to ease congestion and keep students safe.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Students affected | ~70,000 |
| Focused goals | Early literacy; literacy intervention; college & career readiness; life skills |
| Transport changes | Hub-based boarding at designated campuses; mandatory bus passes; fewer stops at ~42 campuses |
| Safety | Fresno PD partnership; school-zone speed limit reduced to 20 mph |
What families should expect
District leaders say the new system will streamline routes and provide parents with tracking tools, but the changes also mean some students and families will need to adapt to different boarding points and routines. The district has not released a detailed map of hubs in Wednesday’s briefing; families should watch Fresno Unified communications for bus-pass enrollment instructions and specific hub locations ahead of the start of classes.
Officials emphasized the measures are designed to reduce traffic at campuses, increase supervision at pickup points and make bus routes more efficient. School and public-safety officials urged parents to follow posted traffic rules during arrival and dismissal to support the rollout.
As the new year begins, district administrators said they will monitor outcomes tied to the four academic goals and the transportation pilot, adjusting plans where needed to improve student safety and on-time arrival.
