Dayton school bus hub to get extensive renovation

She said it was about giving bus drivers, who are mostly women of color in DPS’s case, a place to relax and be a part of.

“It’s something that, if you went to work, you’d want a building like that,” Goodwine said. “Just trying really to meet the peoples’ need.”

Marie Winfrey, the president of the bus drivers’ union, has been advocating for a new Jackson Center building for several years. The bathrooms are lacking, the bus drivers have said. Many of the bus drivers use the RTA to get to work, so they can’t easily go home again and stay at the building between the morning bus route and the afternoon bus route.

Winfrey was part of the group who took part in the groundbreaking. She said she was very excited to see this day come.

“We thank them for bringing it to us that we can be able to have something new,” she said. “But it’s encouragement for us, to help build us up to do our job efficiently.”

Winfrey also advocated for bonuses and increased pay for drivers, something that was also approved earlier this year and the district says has helped retain more drivers.

David Lawrence, the district’s interim superintendent, said the federal COVID-19 funds could be used for this project because it increases the space in the building.

“The vast majority, probably over 85% of the personnel in transportation are women,” Lawrence said. “This is a building that had long outrun its course in terms of usefulness.”

Lawrence said he didn’t remember the building ever having been renovated.

The building is expected to be completed within a year, and Lawrence said the goal is about 10 months for construction.