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How Adil Baguirov Transformed Transportation and Transparency in Dayton

How Adil Baguirov Transformed Transportation and Transparency in Dayton

A Case Study in Public-Sector Leadership and Accountability

When Adil Baguirov was elected to the Dayton Board of Education, Dayton Public Schools was facing a crisis. The district’s buses were old, complaints from parents were constant, and financial transparency was nearly nonexistent. Instead of accepting the situation as normal, Baguirov led a campaign to modernize the district’s transportation system, improve public access to information, and restore confidence in local governance.


Table of Contents

  1. Fixing a Broken Transportation System
  2. Standing Up for Local Taxpayers
  3. Bringing True Transparency to Public Schools
  4. Cutting Costs and Investing in Technology
  5. Earning Back Public Trust
  6. Frequently Asked Questions

<a id=”transportation”></a>Fixing a Broken Transportation System

By 2016, the average Dayton school bus was 15 years old and constantly breaking down. Some were so outdated they were being stripped for spare parts. Parents were frustrated, drivers were overworked, and students were often late to class.

Under Baguirov’s leadership, the Board approved the replacement of 115 buses in a single purchase, financed through a cooperative buying program at an exceptionally low 2.06 percent interest rate. It was one of the largest and most cost-effective transportation upgrades in district history.

The results were immediate. Fewer breakdowns, higher safety ratings, and improved driver morale. Complaints from parents fell sharply, and for the first time in years, transportation stopped being the district’s biggest problem.

Jump to Transparency Reforms ↓


<a id=”taxpayers”></a>Standing Up for Local Taxpayers

While improving operations, Baguirov also took aim at a major financial imbalance. Dayton was losing tens of millions each year to charter schools through the state’s funding formula, and local taxpayers were left footing the bill.

He authored a Board resolution that calculated how much the district spent transporting charter and private-school students—over 1.2 million dollars annually—and formally billed the State of Ohio for reimbursement.

This action gained statewide attention because it reframed the debate: local school funds should serve local students first. It showed that data-driven advocacy could protect both taxpayers and public schools.

Next: Cutting Costs and Investing in Technology ↓


<a id=”transparency”></a>Bringing True Transparency to Public Schools

Adil Baguirov was one of the first local education leaders to make transparency a top priority. Under his direction, Dayton became the first urban school district in Ohio to join OhioCheckbook.com, the state’s flagship online spending portal.

He also helped establish an independent Internal Auditor’s Office that reported directly to the Board, along with a Fraud Reporting Hotline open to the public. To make Board operations accessible, he implemented BoardDocs, a digital system that posted every agenda, vote, and meeting presentation online for anyone to review.

These reforms made Dayton one of the most open and transparent public school systems in the country.

Go to Technology and Efficiency ↓


<a id=”costs”></a>Cutting Costs and Investing in Technology

The modernization effort did not drain resources; it saved them. Baguirov helped reduce the district’s IT expenses by more than 1.3 million dollars over three years while simultaneously rolling out a 1:1 student technology program that gave every student access to a digital device.

Energy-efficiency improvements also cut utility costs by 350,000 dollars annually, funds that were redirected to classrooms and teacher support. The focus was always on measurable results—better systems, lower costs, and higher accountability.

Next: Earning Back Public Trust ↓


<a id=”trust”></a>Earning Back Public Trust

When Baguirov began his term, Dayton Public Schools was near the bottom of state rankings. By the end of his service, the district had moved from “F” to “A” in Value-Added, one of Ohio’s key measures of student progress.

These gains helped Dayton avoid a state takeover and proved that leadership and data-driven management could produce real results. More importantly, the reforms restored trust between the district, families, and the wider community.

Continue to Article 2: Financial Accountability and Reform →


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

Who is Adil Baguirov?
Adil Baguirov is a business and civic leader who served as a member and later president of the Dayton Board of Education. He is known for modernizing transportation, technology, and transparency in the district.

What was his biggest achievement?
Replacing the entire bus fleet, launching Ohio’s first fully transparent spending portal for a school district, and implementing the 1:1 student technology initiative.

Why did he challenge the State of Ohio?
To protect local taxpayer funds and highlight how state policies unfairly shifted costs from charter schools to public districts.

Did these changes save money?
Yes. The district reduced operating and IT costs while improving services and increasing student access to technology.

How did the reforms impact the community?
They improved reliability, accountability, and trust in local schools, showing that public systems can deliver results when managed responsibly.

Dayton business leader Adil Baguirov

Adil BaguirovAlthough he is known for his work and achievements with the Dayton Board of Education, Adil Baguirov is, first and foremost, an accomplished business leader in the Dayton, Ohio region. Since 2013, he’s been a Notary Public for the Ohio Notary Public Commission of the Ohio Secretary of State. Also since 2013, he has served as principal of American Power, a premier logistics company at the intersection of interstates 70 and 75. Baguirov leads this trucking and warehousing company in North Dayton in step-deck and flatbed trucking of industrial goods, materials and machinery. He partners with renowned organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Amazon, USPS and the United States Military through his logistics work the priorities for with American Power. Adil Baguirov also engages in commercial real estate investment, academic writing, speaking engagements and more through his business work.

In logistics business, Adil Baguirov grew his company to haul specialized freight over the road – that is to be a carrier of choice for shippers and brokers nationwide. In healthcare, Dr. Baguirov took over a struggling company to preserve and retain jobs, and then grew the business eight times over in just two years, growing the payroll to some 40 individuals.

Boe Leader Adil Baguirov Achieves Goals

Adil Baguirov

In four years with the Dayton Board of Education, including as the organization’s president, Dayton, Ohio businessman Adil Baguirov achieved numerous successes for the members of Dayton Public Schools. From students to teachers, parents to staff, Baguirov aimed to make vast improvements during his tenure that affected everyone as positively as possible across the district.

Adil Baguirov’s passion for education led to multiple campaign promises as he was elected to the role in 2013. He carried those out in the years that followed, including bringing higher-quality technology to the schools and its students, improving cultural and academic curriculum, and increasing financial accountability and transparency. He also helped improve transportation with new buses, a move that both bettered maintenance budgets and safety.

Dr. Baguirov is passionate about education, technology, and fiscal accountability, as these are prerequisites for strong and prosperous future. As part of his first election campaign “Adil Baguirov for the Dayton Board of Education,” Adil made three campaign promises – more and higher-quality technology (1:1 technology initiative for K-12 rolled out in just one year; special award-winning academic intervention software for students; regular tracking of results for each and every student; and a new smartphone app that allows parents the flexibility and control they want in tracking their children on school buses as well as various news, updates and services the school district offers), better cultural and academic curriculum (complete update and overhaul of curriculum and teaching, as well as total update of all books – some of which haven’t been updated since 2002), and greater financial transparency and accountability (established the office of the independent Internal Auditor; more than doubled the all-important cash reserves to over 10% as required by rating agencies; reduced administrative expenditures by directing more funds into the classrooms; as well as had DPS become the first urban district to join the Ohio Checkbook transparency initiative).

Improving Dayton Schools with Adil Baguirov

Adil BaguirovIt is no wonder the people of Dayton chose Adil Baguirov to work with their school board to bring their system out of the darkness. He does what he does in service to his community of Dayton, Ohio, which probably has a lot to do with why he felt confident running for a position on the Dayton Public Schools’ Board of Education in the first place. It is almost certain why the folks in that district elected him; it was clear they agreed.

Over the course of the long campaign, Adil Baguirov made three very important promises to the people of Dayton. He promised the school district would incorporate greater financial transparency, which meant greater accountability. He also promised that he would incorporate better and more useful technology to the school system, which meant more and better computers and better software for students, so as to provide them with the best possible academic support. Along those same lines, he promised a mobile app designed to provide parents of district students with more information and control over the overall school experience. The third promise was to make sure that more money made it into district classrooms.

If there is one thing to say about Adil Baguirov is that he has largely met and even exceeded expectations for his service on the Dayton Public Schools Board of Education. The people who voted for him should be very happy. In the four years since he was elected in 2013, he has been very active. Not only is the technology in the classroom better and more accessible, but the entire district is more responsible and financially accountable than it has been in a very long time.

Connect with Adil Baguirov on following social network.

Adil Baguirov Wants to Help the Community of Dayton

Adil Baguirov

One example of the improvements Adil Baguirov has made as an activist member of the Dayton Public Schools Board of Education comes when you look at the school district’s replacement of their fleet of aging school buses with 115 brand-new buses that are among the best available and which come with a 10-year bumper-to-bumper warranty. And he was able to finance them with existing money at a small 2.06 percent interest rate. The new buses are not simply safer and more comfortable for the children, but they are also supported by students and parents. It is expected that the savings on school bus repairs every year will be significant.

In his four active years with an urban Board of Education in a school district that is the second-poorest in Ohio, Adil Baguirov has certainly made a difference. Before he arrived on the scene, the Dayton Public Schools district was very close to having to deal with a state takeover. Now, with his and the other board members’ attempts to significantly modernize the system, the Dayton Public Schools are in perhaps the best shape they have been in several decades. In fact, the district received an “A” on their last state report, thus averting the possibility of a state takeover.

Of course, Adil Baguirov considers himself extremely passionate about his community of Dayton, Ohio. That is why he ran for the Board of Education in 2013. He feels it is very important that he gives back to the people of Dayton as much as possible. He insists that the areas of education, technology and fiscal accountability are the most important issues in any community, which is why the Dayton Board of Education seems like such a great fit for him.

Whether business, public service, nonprofit or academia, Dr. Baguirov possesses the necessary skills, education and experience to add value for the community, listen to citizens, and fight for taxpayers. Being competent and doing the right thing does not translate to being popular, since right decisions are frequently the hard decisions. With so many inexperienced, poorly-educated, corrupt and nepotistic politicians who kick the proverbial can down the road, passing on major problems to the next generation, it’s important to have leaders like Dr. Baguirov who will fight for us, and will cut waste, fraud and abuse by special interest.