FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – The school bus driver shortage in one Fort Wayne-area school district is not getting any better.
This week, Southwest Allen County Superintendent Park Ginder sent a letter home to parents explaining their situation.
Ginder says the school district has so few school bus drivers that mechanics and secretaries are having to cover routes. Still, it’s not enough. The superintendent warned parents that bus routes will be canceled and that they may have to scramble to get kids to school.
The following was (in part) issued by Superintendant Ginder:
There was a time when many of SACS’ drivers were retirees, farmers, realtors, and/or small business owners. The part-time, staggered work day of a bus driver was considered ideal for a person seeking a reliable job opportunity with benefits. Today, that pool has dwindled and there are far fewer people interested. This isn’t something started because of COVID but has certainly been exacerbated by it.
SACS continues to seek new bus drivers and explore other solutions to combat the thinning pool of drivers. In the meantime, we ask for your continued patience and grace. If SACS is forced to cancel routes due to driver shortage, we do our best to notify families as soon as possible. Families of students on a canceled bus route receive both a text message and email.
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