Bus Driver Shortage Near ‘Crisis’ Stage, Says School Superintendent

Stephens County School Superintendent Bryan Dorsey said that the school system is suffering from a lack of bus drivers.

“I do not want to sound dramatic, but right now it is almost a crisis, if not a crisis, in Transportation, as far as finding bus drivers,” said Dorsey.

Dorsey addressed the issue at Thursday’s Stephens County Board of Education work session.

He said that right now, a number of bus drivers are out, creating a shortage that the school system is having to work around because there are not enough substitutes.

“We have got about five or six that are out sick right now,” said Dorsey. “We are having to double back some with some students at the high school and holding them until we can get some drivers back there. We have had to decline some field trips, not because of finances or not wanting them to go. We do not have enough people to put them on the road.”

School system officials say that right now, they are using other people who are able to in the school system to drive routes.

Also, Dorsey said that at least four bus drivers, and maybe as many as seven bus drivers, are retiring after this year.

If that happens, Dorsey said the school system will be back in the same shortage situation, even when the drivers that are out now come back.

Stephens County School System Transportation Director Beth McDonald said that she just cannot get enough qualified applicants for bus drivers.

“If I could get qualified, quality applicants, I could set up a training program this summer to get folks trained,” said McDonald.

School system officials said that this is not just a Stephens County problem, but it is something that school systems around the state are dealing with.

McDonald said she feels like multiple things are contributing to this.

“Money is always a factor, but I do not think that is a top factor,” said McDonald. “There is a lot of CDL testing and training you have to go through.”

Officials said that training is going up.

McDonald was then asked by the board whether discipline was a factor.

“Discipline is a major factor,” said McDonald. “It really is.”

Dorsey said that the school system is stressing that if a student is causing problems on the bus, the bus driver is to write up the student and they will be removed from the bus if problems continue.

He said to his knowledge that is being done when that situation arises.

McDonald said she is looking at ways to recruit bus drivers.

Dorsey said something has to be done to address the issue now.