Where do local School Districts stand as they look to fill Bus Driver positions? We spoke with some Superintendents as the new school year approaches. Bus Drivers are wanted and some local School Districts we spoke with called getting enough Bus Drivers a constant struggle.
Somerset Area School District Superintendent Krista Mathias saying: “There have been a lot of retirements in recent years and that has posed some problems for our bus company but overall I can say they’ve done an excellent job in filling those. We’ve never had to cancel school or anything here in Somerset but I know that has been a difficulty for many school districts.”
Some other Districts also said they have been able to fill positions for Bus Drivers. But even when those spots are filled, School Officials say struggles still come up. Richland School District Superintendent Arnold Nadonley says many Bus Drivers are older and retired. Nadonley adding: “The bus drivers, they do a tremendous job, but some of them are limited in how much income they can make, so that becomes a challenge. Not all of them can drive all day long for field trips and it’s a challenge, and it’s expensive. Our transportation is over a million dollars a year and we’re a medium sized district in Cambria County.”
If the Drivers have health issues or need a day off, Mathias says “Finding substitutes is obviously very challenging as well because you need to find someone who posses the appropriate CDL and then is willing and able to work at the drop of a hat.”
Some Districts say creative changes have come because of shortages. Altoona Area School District Superintendent Brad Hatch saying: “We’ve been forced to get creative in terms of looking at how we can be most efficient . We’ve also looked at some routing issues to where we’re able to stack runs to where we can limit the number of drivers that we require to make sure that we’re fulfilling all of our transportation needs.”
Multiple Superintendents we spoke with went on to talk about the difficulties of being a Bus Driver but also mentioned how crucial they are to the School system.