By Doug La Rocque
The electronic signs in front of area schools carry the message, “now hiring bus drivers.” During school breaks, you will often see a bus parked in front of Tamarac Jr./Sr. High with a banner than reads, “bus drivers wanted.” Look in the Help Wanted sections of local newspapers and you will see ads looking to hire drivers.
The problem is not confined to our coverage area, but indeed is statewide. According to the New York State School Board’s Association (NYSSBA), more than eight in 10 school transportation directors in New York consider driver shortage either their “number one” problem/concern (60 percent) or a “major” problem/concern (23 percent), according to a report by the NYSSBA, New York Association for Pupil Transportation (NYAPT) and National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT).
A shortage of bus drivers can have significant consequences for school districts and the children they educate, including: lengthy bus trips as districts consolidate routes; delayed arrivals and departures; cancelled field trips and extracurricular activities; increased costs as a shortage of drivers drives up wages; and, in extreme cases, children and families having to provide their own means of transportation to and from school.
In some districts, a lack of bus drivers can become a safety issue. Districts with severe shortages often have to press fleet mechanics into bus driver service, meaning bus repair and maintenance may suffer.
Brittonkill (Tamarac) Superintendent Angelina Maloney, says they have not yet reached a point where they have had to consolidate runs, but have indeed asked their mechanics to jump in the drivers seat from time to time (these mechanics are fully certified). She also tells The Eastwick Press the scope of responsibility for school districts has change. They no longer just have to worry daily bus runs to and from their buildings, but have many other transportation issues, such as having to use a driver and a bus to transport one or two students to another educational facility. She said “this is stretching the already thin pool of drivers even thinner.” Finding substitute drivers is also problematic, because those qualified to fill in when needed, are often searching for full time employment, which is available in almost any district in the Capital Region.
New Lebanon District Superintendent Leslie Whitcomb, said they are taking a “home grown” approach to the problem. They have been asking those employed by the district in other capacities, if they would like to drive a bus. The District pays for the training, and according to the Superintendent, they are having some success – in particular, because the law of supply and demand is dictating bus driver wages are higher than some other employment catagories.
Why The Shortage Of Drivers?
The NYSSBA report said the biggest factor contributing to bus driver shortages, are recent federal and state requirements that have made obtaining a commercial driver license (CDL) more costly and time-consuming. The report recommends that school leaders and transportation directors work closely with the state Department of Motor Vehicles to make obtaining a CDL less burdensome without sacrificing safety, including expanding the number of testing sites which must meet federal standards; training and preparing examiners for the new testing regimen to increase consistency among them and their approach to the test; and further adjusting the availability of testing times to include weekend appointments.
Superintendent Maloney added another part ot the shortage equation – retirement.
She said many of their drivers have been on the job for years, which has led to increased levels of familiarity and trust between the drivers, students and parents. As some of these drivers choose to ride off into the sunset, she fears this bond with many of the drivers will also suffer.