![]() ![]() The staffing needs at General Brown mirror the crisis facing other districts nationwide. Substitute bus drivers cover three of those routes, and the other route is split among the mechanics, mechanics’ helpers and the assistant transportation director, Case said. … But I was dangling by a thread.”Ĭurrently, the district runs 18 routes, four of which don’t have permanent bus drivers. Luckily, the driver didn’t have to quarantine. “We finagled the schedule enough to make it, so we didn’t have to go remote for a day or week,” Case said. She had difficulty reaching substitutes, and other drivers needed time off.Ĭase-uncertain whether the students who ride those buses could get to school the following day-thought about closing schools and reverting to online learning, she said. Nearly two weeks ago, Barbara Case, superintendent of the General Brown Central School District in rural upstate New York, received a phone call that two bus drivers had been exposed to COVID-19. Meanwhile, the coronavirus continues to interrupt schedules. Vaccine mandates have prompted some drivers to quit and dissuaded some would-be drivers from applying for the job. School officials say many older drivers retired early rather than risk getting sick. “It might mean more isolation, more online learning, and rural kids may or may not be able to access it given the digital divide.” “In many rural areas, there are high rates of poverty and a lot of rural families might not have transportation themselves, so if the buses aren’t running, the kids literally have no other option to get to school,” said Mara Tieken, an associate professor at Bates College in Maine and a rural education expert. Rural education experts worry the shortage will intensify inequities, leaving rural children further behind academically. Some districts have offered hiring bonuses, increased drivers’ wages and paid families to bring kids to school. Weeks into the school year, rural school districts remain especially hard hit by the national school bus driver shortage that gained widespread attention late this summer.īus routes have been shortened or extended, drivers are working longer hours, and in some cases administrators, mechanics and even teachers are climbing behind the wheel. Read more Stateline coverage of how schools are affected by COVID-19. “We hear anecdotal reports all the time but being able to point to real information will ensure we are responding to this situation in the best manner possible for our members.Editor’s note: The story has been updated to correct the spelling of Bill Kurts’ name. “While the industry seems to struggle with driver shortages each year, this year’s shortage has a different feel to it and having the data to really understand it is invaluable,” noted Ronna Weber, the executive director of NASDPTS. In a question that allowed for multiple answers, 50% of respondents said the rate of pay is a major factor affecting their ability to recruit and retain drivers, 45% cited the “length of time to secure a CDL,” 38% the “availability of benefits,” and 38% the “hours available to work.”. ![]()
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