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Connecticut bus driver shortage likely to impact another school year

The Connecticut School Transportation Association says members are still looking to fill a thousand jobs just weeks before school starts.

WATERBURY, Conn. — Students across Connecticut are absorbing the final days of summer as the classroom bell will ring in a matter of weeks.

Many school districts are beginning to post their bus routes for the upcoming school year while many more are still trying to work around a shortage of drivers.

In South Windsor, the school notified parents on Monday that "the bus driver shortage will impact our school community again this year." In a letter to families, Director of Finance and Operations Chris Chemerka says the situation from last year has not improved. 

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"The district is anticipating there will be continued issues with bus driver shortages as we head into the new school year. We are hoping that you, the families of South Windsor, can either help by taking the steps yourself to become a fully licensed school bus driver and/or help get the word out to family, friends, colleagues, etc.," he wrote.

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Many bus drivers retired or found other jobs in 2020 when students were learning remotely. Once they started to go back to hybrid schedules, it was easier for districts to staff routes. When kids went back for five days of in-person learning, districts struggled to staff up to pre-pandemic levels, which impacted the 2021-2022 school year.

All-Star Transportation General Manager Stephen Gardner says they would like to see dozens of new drivers but are starting to see the number of drivers get back to 2019 levels. The company, headquartered in Waterbury, has more than 800 drivers serving mostly Litchfield County.

"We’re in a better position than we were about a year ago so we’re very optimistic that things are turning to a point where we’re going to have fully staffed offices," Gardner said. "We would like to see another 50 to 75 drivers. That would put us in the more comfortable place than where we are now."

He says some looking for jobs are trying to get into or back into the workforce. Even some retired folks are getting behind the wheel. Gardner says the job offers people a part-time schedule and, if parents are interested, an opportunity to save money.

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"They're moms or dads that want a job where they can be around their children and don’t have to pay for daycare so they like the flexibility of the schedule," he said.

He said parents who continue to drive their children to and from school have helped cut back on routes and eliminate unfilled positions. Many districts are trying to gather this information from parents so they know how to accommodate them. 

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The All-Star Transportation general manager says they're seeing parents, retirees, and those looking to get into the workforce apply for bus driver jobs.

"We are currently waiting on 1,100 responses to be completed. In order to fully navigate this bus driver shortage, it is crucial we know who will or will not be riding the bus in order for the transportation department to route and plan accordingly, hopefully improving the driver shortage situation for South Windsor families," Chemerka said in his letter.

The Connecticut School Transportation Association (COSTA) held a driver recruitment week last week to get more applications. Executive Director Jean Cronin said in a statement to FOX61 this resulted in an uptick in applications but more are needed.

“Connecticut continues to experience a school bus driver shortage in all towns across the state. Collectively, our member school bus companies are looking to hire 1,000 drivers for the upcoming school year," she said. "School districts and superintendents will need to work with their school transportation providers as we get closer to school start dates to ensure that all the bus routes are covered, or make adjustments in bus routes and times if there are not enough drivers. Parents will also need to be patient and cooperative with their children’s school bus providers as we all work to ensure that Connecticut’s school children are transported to and from school safely.”

Gardner says they anticipate fewer issues during the 2022-2023 school year than in the past year. However, he said there may be impacts if a driver calls out sick, for example but adds that's difficult to predict.

If interested, he encourages people to reach out to their local bus company. It takes anywhere from four to five weeks to train which means a new driver wouldn't be ready to go when school starts but shortly after. 

Tony Black is a multi-media journalist at FOX61 News. He can be reached at tblack@fox61.com. Follow him on FacebookTwitter and Instagram

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