News & Events

Gonzales Climbs School District Ladder

From The Deming Headlight
Deming, NM
Posted on 7/29/2010

By Matt Robinson Headlight Staff

She did not work her way into the elite of school transportation overnight.

The professional journey of Crystal Gonzales began as a young adult, at about 18.  She started as a teacher's assistant and kept her nose to the grindstone. Now, 10 years later, as transportation secretary of Deming Public Schools, her hard work and dedication has led to participation in a revolutionary system with which not many have had experience.

In early July, she joined DPS transportation director Ray Trejo for a Transfinder conference in Saratoga Springs, NY.  Transfinder is a computer program designed to help track school buses and the routes on which the buses must travel to ensure children get to school safely and on time.

"It's a really good program for our district, and I'm really proud that I was able to get certified," she said.  "When you get certified for something, whether it's big or small, it makes you feel good about your position."

She joined 130 clients from 25 states to seek certification.  Her certification, along with the month of training she had for the system, will allow her to use technology and global positioning satellites to accurately track school buses and the locations from which local children need to get rides.

"It's a pretty complex system, and it takes a little bit of time to master," she said, as she manipulated the program to display specific bus routes.

For the district, which racked up nearly 1.14 million miles last year alone, the system and its controller could prove vital in improving efficiency.

"I've developed all the routes in Transfinder," she said.  "We can automatically schedule students based on the routes we've created in this program."

"We're hoping that, in the future, we can mail those schedules out in the summer so parents don't have to come in unless there's a discrepancy."

She said it has been an honor to be selected to represent the school district with this program.  She also said the experience has been "humbling," and that she looks forward to the challenges presented by her job.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crystal Gonzales works in the Transfinder program, which helps schedule school bus routes. (Matt Robinson / Headlight Photo)