23).įCPS says it is unable to provide exact numbers for the gap in staffing “because the situation is so fluid,” but the shortage is part of a nationwide trend that has resulted in reports of buses arriving hours late or not showing up at all from Stafford County and Lynchburg City to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Broward County in Florida. In a message posted to its social media channels, FCPS advised parents to walk with their children or drive them to school if possible, stating that “there may be delays impacting bus routes” across the county when school starts on Monday (Aug. “You know when that bus driver does come around, be kind to them.Just days before the new school year is set to begin, Fairfax County Public Schools says it hasn’t hired enough bus drivers to fully serve the thousands of students who rely on the bus fleet to travel to and from school. “But we haven’t seen any large-scale indicators that say people are leaving because of the inability to manage the students,” Macysyn said.Īs Fairfax County asks parents to be patient with any delays in getting kids to school, Macysyn also asks for consideration during the first, frenetic weeks of school. The job is also challenging: Drivers have to be alert to traffic and weather conditions, and are responsible for getting the students on their bus back-and-forth to school safely. “So we weren’t filling that funnel with new drivers as we normally would,” he said.Īlong with offering signing bonuses and boosting wages, Macysyn said school districts need to emphasize the positives of the job: Drivers can maintain part-time positions they can have summers off or in some cases, they can focus on driving sports teams. He said after being furloughed due to school closures, many may be hesitant to return.Īnother factor in the driver shortage, according to Macysyn, is the fact that so many school districts were closed for most of the 2020-2021 school year. “Many of the bus drivers fall into the category of high risk for severe illness related to COVID.” In many cases, they became drivers after retiring from other jobs. Macysyn said one issue that may be fueling the shortage is the fact that many drivers are older. It’s a nationwide crisis that we’re in right now.”Ĭurt Macysyn, Executive Director of the National School Transportation Association, said Furby is right: The driver shortage is widespread. We know that each district is suffering with a driver shortage. area, Furby said, “You know, we are in this together. Asked about the competition for drivers in the D.C. While the shortage is especially acute this year, Furby said Fairfax County schools have faced driver shortages for “some time.” She explains that even before the coronavirus pandemic, the school system was often looking to fill between 80 and 90 bus driver positions.įairfax County schools are not alone in the search for school bus drivers. It’s an app that’s available, and will show parents exactly where their bus is located, and how much time before that bus will arrive to the designated stop.” “We’re also asking parents to access our Here Comes the Bus app. “We do have some systems in place that will allow parents to check on their student transportation for the most recent updates, such as our parent view account,” Furby said. “So we’re asking parents to be patient, and to expect some delays.”įurby said there are ways for parents get real-time information on the arrival of their child’s bus. That means drivers will complete one bus run, then “double back” to tackle another. In order to get the 140,000 kids who depend on buses to school, Furby said there will be a number of “double back” routes. And they cover “at least 17 million miles a year,” Furby said. On a typical day, there are 1,200 FCPS school buses on the road each day. Business & Finance Click to expand menu.
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