Orangeburg County School District (OCSD) is pleased to announce the appointment of Eric Rashad Roland as Director of Transportation, bringing more than 13 years of progressive experience in student transportation, operations, and safety to the district.
Roland joins OCSD from Aiken County Public Schools, where he most recently served as Assistant Director of Transportation. His career in student transportation began as a paraeducator and school bus driver before he advanced to Transportation Supervisor and later Assistant Director of Transportation. That progression has provided Roland with firsthand experience at nearly every level of school transportation operations.
“Mr. Roland brings a strong combination of operational experience, leadership and an understanding that transportation is an important part of the educational experience we provide our students each day,” said Dr. Shawn D. Foster, Superintendent of Orangeburg County School District. “Our families entrust us with their children from the moment they step onto one of our buses in the morning until they return home in the afternoon. We take that responsibility seriously. I believe Mr. Roland’s commitment to safety, accountability, and service will make him an important addition to our leadership team, shared Dr. Foster.”
In his role as Assistant Director in Aiken County, Roland helped lead transportation operations for a geographically diverse school system serving approximately 23,000 students. His responsibilities included providing leadership and operational support to eight transportation supervisors and approximately 200 school bus drivers, evaluating staffing and route efficiency, supporting safety initiatives, communicating with schools and families, and working with district and state partners.
Roland also brings significant experience in the use of technology to strengthen transportation operations. He has served as a district lead for the Traversa transportation management system, supporting route development, student transportation data, specialized transportation programs and operational troubleshooting. He also helped support implementation and expansion of the MyRide K-12 application, providing families with greater access to real-time transportation information.
“Transportation is about much more than moving students from one location to another,” Roland said. “For many students, the school bus is their first interaction with the district in the morning and their last interaction at the end of the day. I am excited about the opportunity to join Orangeburg County School District and work alongside our drivers, transportation staff, school leaders and families to provide safe, reliable, efficient and student-centered service, he shared.”
Roland’s professional accomplishments include being named the 2025 Aiken County Public School District Professional Staff Member of the Year and the district’s GEM of the Year in 2021. His community involvement includes service on local school improvement councils and as a board member of the Matthews Foundation for Homeless Youth.
“Orangeburg County School District covers a large geographic area, and dependable transportation is essential to ensuring our students have access to the opportunities available in our schools,” Dr. Jesse Washington, III, Assistant Superintendent of Operations added. “We welcome Mr. Roland to Team OCSD and look forward to his leadership as we continue raising the standard of service for our students, families and community, Dr. Washington continued.”
Roland will begin his new role with a commitment to building upon the Transportation Department’s existing strengths while advancing OCSD’s districtwide focus on higher intentionality, higher integrity and higher impact.
Contact: Dr. Erica S. Taylor, Assistant Superintendent for Communications and Business and Community Partnerships, erica.taylor@ocsdsc.org