Bus-driver shortages across the country continue to be an issue for school districts — Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District being one.
After some complaints from parents of children in the district, SOCSD Superintendent Eddie Peasant sent out a district-wide email to parents addressing the issues regarding the bus driver shortage.
“I feel a responsibility to inform all of our parents of the challenges caused by a lack of bus drivers among our transportation department,” Peasant said. “I want to be transparent with you about the driver shortage, and the issues it is creating for our school district as you make decisions about your child’s transportation to and from school.
The district currently has 49 drivers who operate 143 routes each day. Most drivers transport students on three different routes a day when fully staffed, they only typically drive two.
SOCSD Public Information Officer Nicole Thomas said the district currently has 16 open positions for bus drivers. In addition to the driver shortage, when drivers are sick, Thomas said the district finds it difficult to secure substitute drivers, further straining bus transportation service.
“We are actively recruiting bus drivers every day,” Thomas said. “The bus driver shortage isn’t unique to Starkville. It’s a nationwide issue that is critically impacting school operations around the country. That doesn’t make it any easier for us in Starkville, but it is a recognition that it is happening nationwide, and it is to do with the critical driver shortage.”
The driver shortage isn’t limited to SOCSD, though. In August, Columbus Municipal School District Assistant Superintendent Glenn Dedeaux told The Dispatch the district has 19 bus drivers, but it needs between 35 to 40 drivers to do the job. At the time, the district had just bumped starting driver pay from $12 per hour to $15 per hour. When asked Thursday about the status of CMSD’s drivers and routes, CMSD Public Information Officer Mary Pollitz told The Dispatch things are better but the district is still not at capacity with bus drivers.
To help alleviate some of the mileage the drivers must make each day, some employees in other positions have received their commercial driver’s license, which is needed to operate buses. Thomas said the district shop and mechanic director for transportation and the two bus monitors drive routes regularly.
“Several of our other positions have just gotten their bus license and stepped in to cover some of the routes,” Thomas said.
Nearly 65 percent of students across the district regularly ride the bus. Thomas said some parents have taken their children off of the bus list to help with the ongoing issue.
Because the district is county-wide and not just within the city of Starkville, Thomas said a challenge unique to SOCSD is having to pick up students across more than 450 square miles.
“Something that impacts our specific bus route is just the size of our district,” Thomas said. “We’re a countywide district that has a very large territory that covers a lot of miles and offers door-to-door pickup for most students. It’s difficult to have a bus stop in the country.”
If interested in becoming a bus driver, individuals can apply at www.starkvillesd.com/jobs.
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