![]() National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services Executive Director Ronna Weber, agrees, adding: " this year's shortage has a different feel to it."Īnd National School Transportation Association Executive Director Curt Macysyn added how he is "vitally concerned about the short-term implications of the shortage." Mike Martin, Director of NAPT Executive, which Newsweek has contacted for an update, said in a statement: "COVID continues to have an impact on education in general and school transportation scheduling and logistics in particular, the shortage of school bus drivers has become conspicuous." The report's authors add respondents believe the pandemic is responsible for much of the transportation problems. A National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) report issued on August 31, discovered in a survey that half of student-transportation coordinators described their school bus driver shortages as "severe" or "desperate." The news arrives during a dearth of school bus drivers across the country. "We will continue to seek alternative solutions to address our driver shortage, including extending our transportation stipend to eligible families and the use of alternative vehicles to supplement the existing needs of students." "We're committed to offering assistance during this challenging time, which will continue to impact City Schools and other districts for the foreseeable future. She told Newsweek: "Our call center continues to receive many inquiries from families about transportation challenges. Lynette Washington, chief operating officer of Baltimore City Public Schools, said she receives a call about a driver shortage "every minute." Massachusetts Governor Activates National Guard to Drive School Buses.Mom Arrested for Alleged Fight With 11-Year-Old Student on School Bus.Father of Biracial Girl Who Had Hair Cut by Teacher Sues for $1M. ![]() Department of Transportation for further comments. On August 18, President Joe Biden ordered his education secretary to pursue possible legal action against states that have blocked school mask mandates and other health measures meant to protect students against COVID-19. "It's really at a breaking point," McFarland said. McFarland, who is based in Los Angeles, told The Associated Press that in March, "nearly 80 percent of districts that responded were having trouble finding enough bus drivers." Joanna McFarland is the co-founder and CEO of school ride-service company HopSkipDrive, which tracks school bus issues. In Pittsburgh, a school district had to delay the start of classes due to the bus shortage. Tennessee School District to Shut Down for Entire Week Due to COVID CasesĪnother Delaware school district is offering to pay parents $700 to handle their own transportation.Entire University to Enter COVID Quarantine After First Week of Classes.Study Details How One Unvaccinated Teacher Caused COVID Outbreak. ![]() Maybe a noon run, but you can't support a family on bus driving." "It's a few hours in the morning, a few hours in the afternoon, potentially a field trip here or there. "It's a rough time because it's not a full-time job," said Meeuwsen. He also said the part-time offers that are being offered are simply not enough for some Michigan residents. So, it's not like I can put out an ad for a bus driver today and put you to work tomorrow," Meeuwsen said. "It takes a good month to get somebody trained. Meeuwsen said that "long hiring processes" are to blame for many of the bus shortages in Michigan. I've been all the way to Hawaii, and there are signs up at every state I visit," Burnett said.Įxecutive director of the Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation Dave Meeuwsen also spoke to WDIV about the widespread shortages. "Too many people are staying home, and we need people to do these jobs. Operations Manager Steve Burnett of Oak Park City School District in Michigan spoke to WDIV regarding the current bus shortages in his area. A bigger issue is a lack of people wanting to fill the positions. A school bus driver shortage is affecting the country as the 2021-2022 school year begins.ĬOVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the extended hiring of bus drivers-but that's not the only issue causing widespread issues as in-person classes resume for millions of students.
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