STAUNTON, VA (Rocktown Now) — The Staunton City Schools Transportation Department has officially moved into the school division’s new operations center on Middlebrook Avenue.

The move was celebrated with a bus parade as drivers departed their former location adjacent to the City of Staunton’s public works department and wastewater treatment plant.

The department had been operating from what was intended to be a temporary setup established in the 1980s, in a trailer that served as office space for the transportation team next to the gravel bus lot. More than 30 bus drivers crammed into the limited space, and bus repairs were completed by the division’s bus mechanic outdoors, exposed to the elements.

In May of 2025, SCS purchased the former Eavers Excavating property on Middlebrook Avenue, which includes 325,000 square feet of building space on 7.5 acres, for $1.6 million. The acquisition allowed SCS to create a permanent operations center for the division’s transportation and maintenance functions. 

Officials say the new facility provides adequate space for buses, maintenance equipment, and staff, and represents a much-needed improvement in working conditions.

“This transition means a great deal to our transportation team,” said Earl McCray, Director of Operations for Staunton City Schools. “For nearly 40 years, our drivers and bus mechanics worked out of a space that simply wasn’t designed for the work they do. Having a dedicated operations center allows us to better maintain our fleet, support our staff, and ultimately serve our students more efficiently and safely each day. Our team takes tremendous pride in their work, and this new facility reflects how much their work is valued.”

Each school day, the SCS transportation department plays a vital role in the division’s operations, transporting more than 2,200 students daily and driving more than 213,000 miles annually.