A shortage of school bus drivers nationwide is forcing school districts to take unique measures to ensure students get to and from school safely this year.
In at least one area, the shortage of bus drivers has led a charter school to offer parents a stipend to pick up and drop off their children instead of taking the bus, The Washington Post reported. Another school district has delayed starting the school year while officials figure out what to do.
The bus driver shortage is affecting Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), as well, but not nearly as radically as other school districts.
“ACPS recognizes there is a national shortage of school bus drivers, making it challenging to recruit and fill bus driver positions. ACPS has about 90% of our drivers available and 100% of bus monitor positions filled,” according to a statement from ACPS Director of Pupil Transportation and Fleet Management E. Scott Merriman.
To compensate, the office has used mapping software to build the most efficient possible routes and officials are asking students to be at their bus stop 10 minutes before scheduled pickup to ensure buses can run on time.
“Subject to unexpected events such as traffic congestion, we expect to pick up and transport students with minimal delays when school begins on Aug. 24,” Merriman said.
The start of the school year is a big adjustment for everyone from students to parents, staff, drivers, teachers and school administrators. “We anticipate typical bus transportation delays the first two weeks of school as everyone adjusts to school opening,” Merriman explained.
In Fairfax County, the school district has ask parents on social media to consider carpooling instead of taking the bus, WTOP reported. In addition, FCPS is offering a sign-on bonus to bus drivers of $2,000.
Both FCPS and ACPS are looking to hire more bus drivers. According to an ACPS job listing for bus drivers, the starting pay range is $19.34 - $23.80 per hour for full-time employees. FCPS pays its bus drivers a similar amount.
The Fairfax Education Association represents more than 400 transportation employees in the Fairfax County Public Schools system. FEA President Kimberly Adams said, “We certainly know that our transportation staff play an important role in the lives of our students.”
Having more drivers could help ensure students get to school on time and safely home again, prevent multiple runs to cover routes and ensure adequate physical distancing on buses during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Adams.
“We believe that increases to hourly wages, in addition to the signing bonuses, would attract and especially retain our current drivers and attendants,” Adams said.
Still, both systems expect to be ready to transport students as school starts this week.
“ACPS values our drivers and monitors and appreciate they are among the first school employees our children see in the morning to begin school. We attribute our driver retention to our efforts to make the transportation office a great place to work. In the fall of 2019, Human Resources spearheaded a major initiative to improve operational management, wages and employee engagement for our bus drivers, bus monitors, mechanics and transportation office staff,” said ACPS Executive Director of Human Resources Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt.
“While we continue to employ traditional and creative recruiting methods for our transportation workforce, our ACPS Office of Pupil Transportation is ready to start the school year,” Kay-Wyatt said.
