Albemarle County’s transportation director will step down at the end of the year after 11 years with the school, the division announced Thursday.
Jim Foley, the transportation director, is relocating to Williamsburg, according to the news release. The division also announced the retirement of Joseph Letteri, who has led the department of building services for 15 years.
The school system is planning to move quickly on the search process to replace the departing directors. The goal is to have new directors selected before the end of the school year, per the news release.
While overseeing building services, Letteri managed the school system’s capital improvement projects, including the current expansion of Crozet Elementary School. During his tenure, Agnor-Hurt, Greer, Red Hill, Scottsville and Woodbrook elementaries have seen expansions and modernization projects. Hee also oversaw the construction of the Environmental Sciences building at Western Albemarle High School.
The division’s release noted that Letteri’s team was key to upgrading the heating and air conditioning and air filtration systems in more than 900 classrooms in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Overall, Letteri supervises a staff of nearly 200 people to manage the division’s 2.3 million square feet of facilities.
“I have been blessed with the opportunity to work in the public sector for over 30 years, and my time with Albemarle County Public Schools has been among the most enjoyable of my professional life,” Letteri said in a statement. “It has been a privilege to work with an outstanding team so focused on meeting their responsibilities on time and with high quality.”
In the transportation department, Foley works with more than 220 bus and van drivers, assistants, technicians, and office staff. His team is responsible for regularly transporting more than 8,000 students to and from school each year, driving more than 12,000 miles and more than 500 bus routes daily.
During Foley’s tenure, the school system improved compensation and benefits for bus drivers and implemented several safety measures such as stop-arm cameras to discourage motorists from driving by a stopped bus.
“For more than 10 years, it has been a privilege to serve our students, families and staff, working alongside you,” Foley wrote in a message to staff members. “You are incredibly talented and dedicated professionals, serving the highest interests of our community, the safety and education of our children. I especially am proud of how you have preserved through this pandemic and remained focused on our core mission of getting our students to school safely during one of the most challenging times of the past 100 years. A great deal has been asked of you and you have never failed to deliver.”
Source: www.dailyprogress.com
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