FOCUS | Bus driver shortage affecting most of Kentuckiana
Mike Harned, chief of student services at Breckinridge County Schools, said it’s a complete team effort every day just to get all the routes covered.
Bus spelled backwards is sub, and in Breckinridge County, they're taking substitute bus drivers to a whole different level.
It’s an extracurricular activity just to make sure school kids get a ride.
Mike Harned, chief of student services at Breckinridge County Schools, said it’s a complete team effort every day just to get all the routes covered.
The school district said it has about 35 bus drivers, but it’s not enough.
“We’ve made it work, but it is a day-to-day struggle,” Harned said.
And the “struggle” is widespread.
FOCUS called several school districts in Kentuckiana, and in Kentucky, only five of 20 districts reported they are fully-staffed with bus drivers.
Jefferson County Public Schools said it needs to hire 76 drivers to reach what JCPS considers the fully staffed mark of 920 drivers.
In Southern Indiana, its much the same way. Most districts are short, with only Greater Clark County Schools, Crothersville Community Schools in Jackson County and Madison Consolidated Schools in Jefferson County reporting they have a full staff of drivers.
“Really use about five more, and then I think we would be in a pretty good spot,” Harned said.
Breckinridge County Schools is hiring, and offers a $600 incentive to do so.
Problem is, so is everyone else.
“There’s so many other jobs out there that everybody seems to be fighting over the same folks,” Harned said.
In the meantime, all hands are on deck.
Including the superintendent of Breckinridge County Schools.
Breckinridge County Schools Superintendent Dr. Nick Carter said he’s been driving since the first full week of school.
He’s been picking the kids up in the morning and then taking them to the middle and high school.
It’s about a 15 to 20-minute bus ride, where Carter is not only the driver, but he’s also the bus monitor.
“We need several bus drivers, it’s not a problem that’s going to go away quickly,” he said.
And with a shortage with not many applicants, districts must also plan for retirements.
“I am concerned that it could get worse, can we continue to replace drivers as they retire?” Carter asked.
Therefore, Carter is calling on lawmakers to consider adjusting the rules to fast-track drivers that already have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to become a school bus driver.
“Even if they’re a retired semi driver, they still have to go through all the training,” he said.
Until something changes, substitutes aren't just teachers, they can be superintendents too.
“I think it's just part of what all of us do in public education, we do whatever needs to be done to help kids, and right now in our district, this is what we need,” Carter said.
Breakdown of bus drivers by county Kentucky
Carroll County Schools
- 17 drivers make full capacity
- Need two permanent, one substitute
Marion County Schools
- 32 routes/drivers with 5 full-time subs make full capacity
- Need three full-time subs
Taylor County School District
- 26 full-time drivers make full capacity
- Have three full-time substitute drivers and 5-6 additional substitutes
- ARE COVERED, but always hiring substitute drivers
Campbellsville Independent Schools (Taylor County)
- 10 drivers/routes make full capacity
- Need to hire one driver
- Has one substitute driver with three emergency substitute drivers (emergency drivers are the superintendent, assistant superintendent and the high school guidance counselor)
Henry County Public Schools
- 29 full-time drivers make full capacity
- Need to hire two full-time drivers and two full-time substitute drivers
- The district’s transportation director regularly fills in to drive a bus
Green County Schools
- ARE COVERED/FULL CAPACITY with 30 drivers
- 26 full-time drivers and four full-time substitute drivers
Adair County Schools
- 42 drivers make full capacity
- Need to hire two full-time drivers and two substitute drivers
Meade County Schools
- ARE COVERED/FULL CAPACITY with 68 drivers
- Have five part-time drivers who are not five day a week substitute drivers
- Six people are in training to become full-time substitute drivers.
Jefferson County Public Schools
- 920 drivers make full capacity
- Need to hire 76 drivers to cover all routes and for backup substitute drivers
- Drivers will pick up another route, some two more routes, to cover all routes
Bullitt County Schools
- 92 drivers make full capacity
- Need to hire 6-8 full-time drivers, but ideally 12 full-time drivers, three full-time substitute drivers, and 10+ substitute drivers
LaRue County Schools
- 27-and-a-half full-time drivers and two part-time substitute drivers make full capacity
- Need to hire four full-time drivers, two full-time substitute drivers, and two part-time substitute drivers.
- Vehicle maintenance staff, custodians and teachers are helping to driver buses
Hardin County Schools
- 215 drivers make full capacity
- 12 drivers short; need to hire two full-time drivers and 10 substitute drivers
Grayson County Schools
- ARE COVERED/FULL CAPACITY with 66 drivers, including full-time and full-time substitute and part-time substitute drivers
- 53 routes covered, with eight full-time substitute drivers and five part-time drivers in addition
Oldham County Schools
- Need to hire 22 drivers: 22 full-time drivers and one “Open Route (Substitute) Driver”
- The district has 70 drivers total.
Breckinridge County Schools
- Need to hire five full-time drivers
- Superintendent, bus maintenance staff, teachers and transportation director are driving buses due to the shortage
Shelby County Schools
- 63 full-time drivers and 10 full-time substitute drivers make full capacity
- 12 drivers short; need two full-time drivers and 10 full-time substitute drivers
- Transportation staff (Coordinator and Route Tech) fill in, current drivers sometimes pick up a second route
Washington County Schools
- Fully staffed
- Always looking for substitute drivers
Trimble County Schools
- 13 full-time drivers make full capacity for 13 routes
- 10 full-time drivers and four substitute drivers currently on staff
- Substitute drivers are driving almost every day
- Transportation director and bus mechanic fill in
- Two people in training to become full-time drivers
Spencer County Schools
- 26 full-time bus drivers make full capacity
- 22 routes fully staffed with one route driven by the transportation coordinator
- Hoping to add three more routes with additional drivers
- Need to hire 4-6 full-time drivers this school year, plus three substitute drivers in anticipation of retirements next year
Breakdown of bus drivers by county Indiana
New Albany Floyd County Schools
- 83 routes
- Need six drivers and more substitute drivers
- Have three “flex” (substitute) drivers
- Nine district staff members fill-in as bus drivers
Greater Clark County
- Covered with 93 drivers for 39 routes, plus six chauffeurs (mini-buses) routes, 15 special ed routes, and 33 contractor routes
- Six substitute drivers
- Always hiring drivers and bus monitors
South Harrison Community School Corporation
- 63 routes
- Short four full-time drivers
- Four drivers cover two routes
- No substitute drivers
- Transportation Director and Assistant both drive buses every day
North Harrison Community Schools
- 45 routes
- 40 full-time drivers, five substitute drivers
- Need to hire five drivers
- Teachers who fill-in get an extra $1000 added to their salaries
- Encouraging teachers, staff and maintenance workers to get a CDL
- District paying $2500 for CDL
Clark County Community School Corporation
- Eight drivers make capacity
- Six drivers currently with two new substitute drivers in training
JACKSON COUNTY
Brownstown Central Community School Corporation
- 23 routes; 19 routes covered
- Need four more drivers
- No substitute drivers
- Some drivers cover two routes
- Two mini-buses used to cover one route
Crothersville Community Schools
- Fully covered with four bus drivers and one substitute driver who is a maintenance worker
Medora Community Schools
- Three routes
- Need to hire one full-time driver
- Two subs, but one goes out of town for the winter
- Superintendent drives a bus
Seymour Community Schools
- 37 routes
- Need to hire one full-time driver
- Transportation staff member drives a bus
JEFFERSON COUNTY
Madison Consolidated Schools
- 30 routes
- Six full-time driver-district employees, 24 full part-time drives
- One substitute drivers
- Mechanics fill in
Southwestern Jefferson County Consolidated School Corporation
- 20 drivers; 19 full-time and one driver for only afternoons
- Five substitute drivers
- Need to hire 1 full-time driver
- Two teachers and one maintenance worker driving buses
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