McLean County Unit 5 is looking for substitute drivers. In central and southern Illinois, districts have flagged the need to fill permanent bus driver positions and substitutes.īloomington District 87 has 12 vacant bus driver positions. Some school bus driver companies that work under contract with Chicago are offering sign-up bonuses of as much as $3,000. The district plans to give $1,000 to families to cover the first two weeks of school and the mayor said she reached out to Uber and Lyft for help. On the first day of school in Chicago, that district was left scrambling to find transportation for almost 2,100 students because 10% of bus drivers resigned. The shortages have already impacted thousands of students in schools around the state. Vaccine mandates may also be impacting demand, she said. Some bus drivers burned out after an increase in summer routes due to summer school. In Illinois, a wave of early retirements and resignations contributed to the shortage, Lapa said. Bus service contractors are continuing to offer hiring bonuses, pay incentives and increased benefits to attract and recruit new drivers.įamilies at impacted schools are being contacted by their respective school administrations with detailed route information and guidance. Guidance for impacted families on Oʻahu is available here.Illinois districts, in the midst of reopening schools after in-person learning had been suspended for over 18 months due to the coronavirus pandemic, are now also facing a bus driver shortage that has hit districts across the countryĪccording to a national survey by the National Association for Pupil Transportation and two other school transportation organizations, half of the almost 1,500 school transportation coordinators surveyed described their driver shortage as “severe” or “desperate.” About 78% said the shortage is getting “much worse” or “a little worse”Ī number of factors have contributed to the shortage, the survey found, including route changes because of COVID-19, a lengthy hiring process, and the rate of pay for drivers. Since the disruptions to the labor force in both Hawaiʻi and nationwide caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education has reached out to mainland bus operators, tour bus operators, the National Guard and firefighters, among others, to recruit qualified bus drivers. All of these groups were unable to assist due to their own staffing shortages and liability issues. Over the last school year, 76 school bus drivers have vacated their positions. Among eight bus service contractors statewide, an estimated 226 additional drivers are needed to fully staff school bus routes. “We ask our students and families for their continued patience and understanding and we truly appreciate the support of our county partners in making county bus routes a priority option for our students.”īased on student ridership from the last school year, approximately 1,130 high school student bus riders will be impacted on Oʻahu and approximately 250 student bus riders on Kauaʻi. “The continued shortage of school bus drivers in Hawaiʻi and across the nation requires the temporary reduction of high school bus routes to ensure that bus services can continue for special education and younger students,” said Assistant Superintendent Randy Tanaka. School bus routes on all islands are subject to change should further staffing shortages occur. School bus routes on Molokaʻi and Lanaʻi are currently not affected. High school bus routes on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island have been modified due to the bus driver shortages, but school bus service will continue. Campbell High (3 of 4 school bus routes suspended)Īll students at these high schools will be provided with subsidized county bus passes to use TheBus on Oʻahu and Kauai Bus for transportation as part of the Expanding Ridership to Educate Students in Schools (EXPRESS) program. Nānākuli High & Intermediate (high school bus routes suspended) HONOLULU - The continuing shortage of qualified school bus drivers statewide will completely or partially suspend bus transportation services at 10 of Oʻahu’s 24 high schools and four schools on Kauaʻi when the new school year begins for students on Monday, August 7. The high schools listed below will rely heavily on county bus systems for student transportation in School Year 2023-24:
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