For the third time in four years, FTCSC’s Transportation Department has earned national recognition as a 2026 Top Transportation Team! FTCSC is one of only six school districts across North America to receive the recognition this year and one of three selected in the category for transportation departments with more than 100 employees. Even more impressive, FTCSC is the only transportation team to have earned the recognition in back-to-back years and three times overall!

What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that the employees themselves decide the winners. The Top Transportation Teams program, developed by Transfinder, recognizes outstanding school transportation departments based entirely on anonymous surveys completed by transportation team members. Employees share feedback about culture, leadership, resources, professional growth, support, and other factors that help create a strong organization.

For FTCSC Director of Transportation Todd Livesay, that makes the recognition especially personal. “This recognition isn’t based on numbers, statistics, or something I submitted; it comes directly from the people who experience our workplace every day,” Todd shares. “That makes it incredibly personal.”

And when you read what members of the FTCSC Transportation Team have to say, several themes quickly rise to the top: students, family, support, and teamwork. Transportation team member Billy Crabtree said one of his favorite parts of the job is simply “helping the kiddos,” and described the department in three words: “We are a family.”

Deanie Cantrell gave a similar answer. Her favorite part of working in Transportation is “the kids,” and when asked what makes the team special, her response was just as simple: “We’re a family.”

For driver Linda Griffey, it is the people and the way they support one another that stand out. “We are a great team. We all pitch in to help each other out no matter what it is,” Griffey said. “We have each other’s backs. I have experienced this so many times. We are not afraid to step up no matter what it is.”

That culture has helped FTCSC earn the Top Transportation Team distinction in 2023, 2024, and now again in 2026. “Culture isn’t something you build at a meeting or through a slogan on the wall,” Todd adds. “It’s built in hundreds of small interactions every day.”

Those everyday interactions are also where FTCSC’s mission of Making A Difference, Purposeful Learning, and Meaningful Collaboration comes to life. For Transportation, Making A Difference starts with keeping students at the center of every decision. “When decisions get difficult, we come back to one simple question: What is best for our students?” Livesay said.

Transportation team member William Lyons echoed that commitment in his survey response, describing the department as having a “family atmosphere” while sharing one simple principle that guides the team every day: “Safety is always above schedule.”

Making that happen requires every member of the FTCSC Transportation Team to work together. Drivers, monitors, mechanics, dispatchers, trainers, coordinators, and office staff all have different roles and schedules, but each person plays a critical part in safely getting students where they need to be every day. That is Meaningful Collaboration in action.

Transportation team member Jeffrey Whitset sees that teamwork play out every day. “It is amazing how this team orchestrates the movement of so many students to school,” Whitset said. “Teamwork among drivers, staff, teachers, administrators, and police. I am happy to be a part of it.”

Whitset also pointed to the support employees receive when challenges arise. “Leadership does a great job of support,” he said. “So many parts and timelines, and yet they handle challenges with calm support.”

For Todd, building that type of team means making sure people know they are valued, respected, and heard. It also means being willing to learn from what employees share. Through employee surveys and ongoing conversations, the Transportation Team has continued to make changes around communication, recognition, professional development, and opportunities for staff input. That willingness to listen, learn, and improve is the essence of Purposeful Learning throughout our FTCSC Flashes Community!

“One of the most important things about asking employees for feedback is being willing to do something with what they tell you,” Livesay said. That people-first approach has now gained national attention three times. As one of the 2026 award recipients, Livesay joined transportation leaders from the other winning school districts at the STN EXPO West in Reno, Nevada, where they shared ideas about building strong teams and creating workplaces where employees want to stay and grow.

His message to other transportation leaders was simple: listen to your people, support your people, and never stop looking for ways to improve.

Superintendent Dr. Chase Huotari said that the commitment of Transportation staff makes them some of the most important Difference Makers in FTCSC. “Our bus drivers are the bookends to every student’s day,” Dr. Huotari said. “They are the first smile our students see every morning, and the last caring adult they see before heading home. Anytime we can recognize them is a good thing. Our Transportation Department is the epitome of what it means to be a Difference Maker.”

Perhaps FTCSC Transportation Department team member Amanda Sofranko summed up the purpose behind it all best when she was asked what she enjoys about her job: “We get to work with kids, and we do make a difference in their lives!”

And for Todd, that is ultimately what this recognition represents. “Our employees aren't just driving buses; they're taking care of kids, supporting families, and making education possible every single day.”

Three national Top Transportation Team recognitions in four years is certainly something worth celebrating. But maybe the greatest recognition is knowing the people doing the work every day believe in the team they are part of and the difference they are making for students.

At FTCSC Transportation, Making A Difference, Purposeful Learning, and Meaningful Collaboration begin long before the first school bell rings and continue long after the final bell of the day.