- Bus driver shortage continues to impact Lakeside Union School District, forcing route changes and frustrating parents.
- Due to its small size, the district struggles not only with hiring new drivers, but training as well.
Getting your child to school can be tough when you’re waiting on a bus that’s running later or worse, doesn’t come.
For the last two years, Lakeside Union School District has seen an increase when it comes to canceling bus routes. Parents say they're frustrated with the issues, and the district is too.
“There were a few times when they wouldn’t let us know until that morning that they weren’t able to come get our kids so I had to keep my son home that day,” said Brittany Collier is a stay at home mother with three kids, two of whom attend the Lakeside Union School District. Her oldest son attends Lakeside School and takes the bus, at least he’s supposed to.
“We normally would run six drivers. So each of them makes a route in the morning and in the afternoon, a.m. and p.m.,” said Superintendent Ty Bryson. “But because of the shortage that we have, we're trying to maximize the two drivers.”
Bus driver shortages have been a problem for school districts since before the COVID-19 pandemic. For Lakeside though, Collier said the problem seems to have gotten even worse in the last two years. She said in recent months, she’s receiving calls three to four times a week about bus route changes.
“You know, it’s been frustrating for me as a parent because if the bus can’t pick them up, then I have to scramble to figure out a way to get my kids to school,” she said. “Can I borrow someone’s car or can my husband get a ride to work so I can take my car?”
Superintendent Bryson said the challenge this year came when two bus drivers went on medical leave.
“Because of our small size, we normally operate with six bus drivers. So having a couple of vacancies exasperates, that situation,” he said. “Then perfect storm, another one called in sick.”
While the size of the district is small with only two schools, its student population covers around 250 square miles. Bryson said when they’re down to only two drivers, they have to make difficult choices of which routes to cover. He said while they offer competitive salaries and benefits, they haven’t had much luck hiring.
Collier said she sympathizes with the district and the shortage of drivers available, but she also feels for parents who work and struggle to adjust to last-minute changes, especially with few alternative options.
“Drop off time is 7:45, you can’t drop them off before that,” she said.
Bryson said the district is fortunate to partner with the Boys and Girls Club to offer before and after school daycare at their Suburu School. He said they’ll soon have the option at Lakeside as well, which he hopes will ease some of the difficulties for parents, but even that isn’t a solution for the lack of drivers.
“I know it's been difficult, and I have empathy for them,” he said. “I wish I had an answer where we could just, you know, take care of the problem. But unfortunately, it's been more of a challenge than we ever anticipated.”
Bryson also notes that transportation is not only an educational benefit for the school, but financial as attendance plays a large role in funding.
Collier hopes the school and parents will be able to work to improve communication about the issue and find solutions.
“We need to work with the schools to ensure that our kids have the best experience they have,” she said.
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