Adil Baguirov: Modernizing Transportation and Restoring Transparency in Dayton

How One Reform-Minded Leader Helped Rebuild Confidence in Public Education

When Adil Baguirov joined the Dayton Board of Education, the district was struggling on every front. Buses broke down daily, parents were frustrated, and teachers faced outdated tools and poor communication systems. Transparency was nearly absent. Instead of accepting these issues as inevitable, Baguirov approached them like a challenge worth solving — with logic, technology, and persistence.

Understanding the Problem
Replacing an Aging Fleet
Protecting Local Taxpayers
Making the System Transparent
Saving Money While Innovating
Restoring Trust in Local Schools
Frequently Asked Questions

<a id=”problem”></a>Understanding the Problem

Before reforms began, the average Dayton school bus was more than 15 years old. Some had broken heaters, others leaked oil, and many simply stopped mid-route. It was not just an inconvenience — it was a symbol of how far the system had fallen.

Baguirov often said that transportation was more than logistics; it was access. If a child could not get to school safely and on time, learning was already out of reach. That perspective guided every decision that followed.

Go to Fleet Replacement ↓

<a id=”fleet”></a>Replacing an Aging Fleet

Under Baguirov’s leadership, the Board approved financing for 115 new buses through a cooperative purchasing program. The deal secured a remarkably low 2.06 percent interest rate, saving thousands of dollars compared to private lenders.

The impact was visible almost immediately. Breakdowns plummeted, drivers reported better working conditions, and families stopped making daily complaint calls. For the first time in years, the community felt that Dayton’s schools were functioning again.

Next: Protecting Local Taxpayers ↓

<a id=”taxpayers”></a>Protecting Local Taxpayers

Baguirov and the Board also addressed a long-ignored financial imbalance. Dayton was paying more than 1.2 million dollars each year to transport charter and private-school students, even though the state reimbursement covered only a fraction of the cost.

He led the passage of a Board resolution that demanded reimbursement and presented detailed calculations to the State of Ohio. The message was simple: local taxpayers should not subsidize costs that belong to the state. The move was bold, data-driven, and set a precedent for other districts.

Continue to Transparency ↓

<a id=”transparent”></a>Making the System Transparent

Transparency became a defining part of Baguirov’s approach. He guided Dayton Public Schools to become the first urban district in Ohio to publish all spending data through OhioCheckbook.com, allowing anyone to see how every dollar was used.

He also pushed for the creation of an independent Internal Auditor’s Office and a Fraud Reporting Hotline that encouraged employees and citizens to report issues without fear. To keep the public informed, the district adopted BoardDocs, which posted all meeting agendas and votes online for 24-hour access.

Dayton went from secrecy to openness almost overnight, setting a new benchmark for public accountability.

Go to Savings and Innovation ↓

<a id=”savings”></a>Saving Money While Innovating

Modernization does not always mean more spending. Baguirov helped cut the district’s IT costs by over 1.3 million dollars in three years while introducing the 1:1 Technology Initiative, which provided every student with a personal learning device.

Energy-efficiency upgrades lowered annual utility costs by 350,000 dollars, funds that went directly back into classrooms and teacher support. The reforms combined practicality with innovation — proving that smarter planning can pay for itself.

Next: Restoring Trust ↓

<a id=”trust”></a>Restoring Trust in Local Schools

Within just a few years, Dayton Public Schools saw measurable academic improvement. The district earned an “A” rating in Value-Added, a major turnaround from its previous failing score. Transportation complaints dropped, financial audits improved, and transparency became standard practice.

What changed most was confidence. Parents, teachers, and even outside observers began to view Dayton not as a failing district but as a recovering one led by people who cared about results.

Continue to Article 2: Financial Integrity and Accountability →

<a id=”faq”></a>Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Adil Baguirov?
He is a civic and business leader who served on the Dayton Board of Education. He led initiatives to modernize transportation, increase transparency, and introduce digital learning tools.

How did he fix the bus system?
By organizing a full fleet replacement with 115 new buses, financed through a cost-saving consortium purchase.

What transparency changes did he introduce?
He brought Dayton into OhioCheckbook, launched an independent auditing office, and moved all Board materials online for public access.

Did these reforms save money?
Yes. The district reduced operating costs by millions while improving technology and service quality.

Why are his reforms still talked about today?
Because they combined efficiency, accountability, and vision in a way that improved both education quality and public confidence.

Former president of the Board of Education in Dayton Adil Baguirov is here to discuss how higher education is responding to declining college enrollment in the state of Ohio. As a resident of Dayton, Adil Baguirov is a business owner, speaker, and technology junkie who is in-tune with Ohio education and its current state of affairs.

A recently revealed trend in Ohio education that has caught Baguirov’s eye is that of declining enrollment at the state’s public colleges such as Dayton. Adil Baguirov has learned that while Ohio colleges are in search of their next wave of college students, many of them will have to look outside of the state to prevent their enrollment numbers from declining.

Studies show that in the next five to seven years the number of high school students in Ohio is expected to decrease. This puts a serious burden on Ohio’s 13 public colleges and universities when it comes to enrollment stability.

It is believed that the decline in high school students is because of the 2008 recession in the United States. During this time, people were having fewer children. Another theory for the decline of high school students in the Midwest was produced by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. The study revealed that the trend was due largely in part to there being fewer white graduates in Ohio.

But it’s not just Ohio that has been affected. There are expected to be fewer high school students in the coming years in the states that surround Ohio as well. In total, the number of high school graduates in the region is expected to decline around 12 percent by 2031.

The proof can be seen at Kent State, an Ohio public university that saw its enrollment increase 32 percent in 10 years but is now seeing is number drop.

One of the main reasons behind Kent State’s enrollment decline is the loss of international students. The number of international students is decreasing across the United States, but Kent State alone lost 1,000 just last year. This is mostly due to increased competition from places like Australia, Canada, and Great Britain.

So how are higher education institutions in Ohio combatting this trend?

One strategy they’re using is bringing in more transfer students by building stronger relationships with nearby community colleges. Ohio public colleges and universities have also altered their admissions criteria to help better suit the student of today. More emphasis on student retention by these public institutions has also helped maintain or increase enrollment numbers.

But the strategy that could end up working the best for these Ohio higher education institutions is finding college students from out of state who want to enroll. There are states out west like Texas, Colorado and California that are actually seeing an increase in high school students, so these are excellent areas to target for out-of-state enrollment.

So what’s next for Ohio universities like Dayton? Adil Baguirov isn’t exactly sure, but he will certainly be keeping an eye on this enrollment trend and he will continue to keep his blog updated with information.

Author: ms_admin