School bus driver shortages spark complaints of overcrowding, delays

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – “Severe” oregon “desperate” that’s however much than fractional of the country’s schoolhouse districts picture their autobus operator shortage.

Locally, immoderate families person had to alteration their regular routines due to the fact that buses are moving precocious -- oregon aren’t showing up astatine all.

News4Jax is getting regular calls astir overcrowding and delays.

The National Association for Pupil Transportation opened a survey to get to the bottommost of the problem.

Nearly 1,500 radical responded:

• 51% considered the operator shortage “severe” oregon “desperate”

• 78% said it’s getting worse to immoderate degree

They gave a fig of explanations, from drivers who don’t privation to beryllium exposed to kids who mightiness person COVID-19 to debased pay, which has led to recruitment and retention problems.

Several section counties had reported occupation uncovering drivers adjacent earlier the pandemic.

The national representing Duval County drivers said the pandemic made the issues adjacent worse.

In Camden County, parents were adjacent asked to instrumentality their kids to schoolhouse connected their ain due to the fact that of autobus operator a shortage.

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In Clay County, respective autobus drivers retired implicit the summer, truthful the territory started the schoolhouse twelvemonth needing astir 15 much drivers.

It’s not conscionable Florida, Massachusetts has resorted to calling successful the National Guard to get students to school.

St. Johns County schoolhouse autobus drivers are the highest paid successful Florida, making betwixt $16 and $23 an hour, but adjacent that territory is struggling to find drivers.

If you’re having issues with buses successful your district, present are the numbers for each county’s autobus hotline to study complaints:

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