![]() “We have students throwing objects, students fighting, students cussing bus drivers. One bus driver noted that students treat unfamiliar bus drivers like a substitute teacher, often failing to give them the respect that is deserved. Having to drive alternate routes also makes it harder for drivers to handle the kids, as they are picking up children who they do not know. We can’t cover stories like this without your support!*** ***Click HERE to support Conservative Journalism in Tennessee. Some students end up missing school because they go home before the bus drivers arrive if they are running late, leaving them absent from much needed class time. They’re missing the pledge of allegiance. ![]() One driver from MNPS said, “I’m so late sometimes that my babies are missing the beginning of school. Many bus drivers worry about the negative effect this has on the students. They also say that a lack of adequate pay, discipline issues with students who do not behave, and a lack of support from school administration also plays a role in the decreasing numbers. Students are being picked up late or are getting home late because their regular bus drivers are not able to get them until they complete one of those substitute routes.Īccording to Melissa Garton, transportation coordinator for Dickson County, they have been forced to use bus mechanics as daily bus drivers.ĭrivers say that the pandemic is not the only thing causing the current shortage. Bus drivers are being made to take on earlier routes and drive even later. That number puts a major strain on the system and on other bus drivers who are forced to work extra to get kids to school. “The shortage of bus drivers here at MNPS and at districts around the state and country continues to present a challenge in meeting the transportation needs of our students,” Braisted said. These numbers also do not take into account the fact that bus drivers may call in sick each day. In East Tennessee, nearly half the schools are in need of drivers. Jackson-Madison County Schools report that they are down 27 drivers, and Dickson County has openings for 6. Sean Braisted, spokesperson for Metro Nashville Public schools, says the school district is short 72 drivers, and they are not the only system affected. That shift in employment has left schools scrambling to find enough workers to cover those positions. School closures during the pandemic forced many bus drivers to find other employment as there were no busses to drive at that time. School districts across the state are struggling to find enough drivers to transport children to and from school. ![]() One New York business is offering $27 an hour, as well as a $2,000 signing bonus, for new school bus drivers.The Tennessee Conservative –Ī shortage of school bus drivers is creating a string of ongoing problems for Tennessee schools. ![]() Others are raising wages in a field that typically pays about $16 an hour, according to government data. Some school bus operators are offering signing bonuses, including one district in Vermont that is dangling a $1,000 offer for drivers who stick around for a year and another in Connecticut offering up to $3,000 for experienced drivers. I can't get them to and from school every day," LaTavia Steel told KDKA. "I'm a mother - a single mother of six kids at two different schools. The cuts in school bus service is leaving families frustrated, with Pittsburgh parents telling KDKA that they're worried and stressed about their ability to get to work and the safety of their children. And competition from other businesses that need drivers, such as trucking companies, may be luring workers away, he said. One study found little difference in job growth between states that cut unemployment assistance early versus those that have maintained the aid.īecause some state Department of Motor Vehicle offices were closed during the pandemic, that created a bottleneck in training new school bus drivers, who need a commercial drivers license to qualify for the job, Macysyn said. However, there is little economic evidence that enhanced jobless aid is keeping workers from rejoining the labor market. The extra pandemic unemployment aid, which will expire on September 6, may be keeping some drivers on the sidelines, Macysyn added.
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