Bus Driver Shortages Continue At Sacramento-Area School Districts

ELK GROVE (CBS13) – Months into the schoolhouse year, the alarming shortage of schoolhouse autobus drivers is inactive ongoing.

Some parents successful the Elk Grove School District present accidental their kids aren’t getting location until precocious into the evening. The territory is conscionable 1 of galore dealing with this issue.

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In Elk Grove, the proscription section autobus gait is afloat of schoolhouse buses but parents accidental determination are fewer drivers to capable them.

“It was atrocious and covid hit, and past it made it worse,” said Cochiti Rico successful Anatolia.

On Friday, she says her lad called astatine 4:30 p.m. aft the autobus didn’t hadn’t shown up and helium needed a thrust home.

“He was determination on with a mates twelve students. They were inactive stranded.  This is astir 2 hours aft schoolhouse ended,” she said.

So however atrocious is the autobus operator shortage, now? Elk Grove says the territory is inactive down astir 35 drivers.

Working parents CBS13 spoke with accidental they can’t prime up their kids aft school.

“We don’t person an enactment for them to locomotion oregon to bike,” said Rico.

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Elk Grove Unified is conscionable 1 of galore dealing with the issue.

A nationwide survey shows much than fractional of America’s schoolhouse districts are reporting their operator shortage is “severe” oregon “desperate.”

Roseville, Rocklin Unified, Folsom Cordova Unified, San Juan Unified, and Sacramento City Unified are besides inactive facing shortages.

In Sacramento, 90 percent of the buses are for students successful peculiar education.

The territory has mislaid much drivers than they’ve hired since the commencement of the schoolhouse twelvemonth with 79 drivers for 84 routes.

And with truthful fewer applicants successful the pipeline, districts accidental this operator situation could proceed for the remainder of the schoolhouse year.

“It takes two, 3 hours for them to get home, it’s not reasonable,” said Rico.

Some districts are offering incentives to drivers. San Juan Unified is offering up to a $2,000 signing bonus successful their archetypal twelvemonth of employment until routes are filled.

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Folsom Cordova Unified starts their autobus drivers astatine $20 an hr and volition bid them.

Marissa Perlman