Mechanics Honored for Safe SVSD Bus Fleet

Congratulations to Snoqualmie Valley’s Transportation Team and especially to our phenomenal bus mechanics who expertly maintain our fleet of district vehicles. This highly capable SVSD team -- Sam Boyce, Kevin Barnett, and Kai Wood -- recently earned an outstanding 2026 annual safety inspection from the Washington State Patrol.

To earn this honor, school districts must meet or exceed strict safety criteria, pass surprise inspections, and ensure that 95% of the district’s fleet is in excellent operational condition. This is no small feat for a fleet with 66 school buses and 45 motor pool vehicles (cars/vans that operations and tech teams use, plus equipment like forklifts, snowplows and trailers).

According to Lead Mechanic Boyce, our district has a long-standing tradition of meeting these high standards. In fact, we’ve earned this impressive annual recognition for as long as he can remember, throughout his 29 years of serving SVSD transportation!

In a Letter of Achievement, Washington’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal and WA State Patrol Chief John Batiste stated, “Your diligent efforts in providing students with safe transportation to and from school, as well as to extracurricular activities, are truly commendable. OSPI and WSP would like to thank you for all your hard work in keeping our students safe.”  

Sam, Kevin and Kai, we appreciate your top-notch skills, professionalism, can-do problem-solving attitudes, and pride in a job well done!