The national bus driver shortage brought on by the coronavirus pandemic is inconveniencing the students of East Lansing Public Schools. Elementary-level students who rely on the bus system more heavily than those at the high school level are especially inconvenienced by the shortage.
“We are typically one to two drivers short a day,” said Dori Leyko, superintendent of East Lansing Public Schools.
Even a small shortage can have consequences for the students. These consequences include late and missing buses.
Red Cedar Elementary School Principal Rinard Pugh said, “It affects the kids emotionally because sometimes the bus can be late or not come at all. It can affect their mood.”
Rinard Pugh said, “It definitely affects children at the elementary level more than the high schoolers.”
The shortage can be directly linked to the coronavirus pandemic and the struggle schools face as they reopen.
Rinard Pugh said the shortage began in “March of 2021 when we decided to start in-person school again.”
The problem in East Lansing is consistent with national data indicating a massive shortage of school bus drivers since the return of in-person school.
The National Association for Pupil Transportation released a survey on Aug. 31 that took data from school districts across the country. The survey found that since the return to in-person schooling, more than half the districts said the bus driver shortage was “severe or desperate.” Over three-quarters of respondents said the shortage was becoming worse.
Additionally, about two-thirds of the respondents identified the bus driver shortage as their number one problem or concern. Only 1% said the shortage is not a problem at all.
Director of Finance of East Lansing Public Schools Richard Pugh said, “The national, state and local bus driver shortage has impacted the district significantly this school year. We are not unique ….”
Dean Transportation, which is responsible for the bus system in East Lansing Public Schools, has already begun to implement solutions.
Rinard Pugh said that to bring in more bus drivers “Dean is working hard to offer incentives and bonuses.” There is hope that an increase in pay may bring in more applicants and keep bus drivers with Dean Transportation.
Rinard Pugh described Dean Transportation as “a great partner” and expressed his appreciation for the help the company provided in easing the burden the children of Red Cedar Elementary School currently face.
Richard Pugh explained how East Lansing Public Schools partners with Dean Transportation to provide buses and routes.
“The district contracts with Dean Transportation and the Ingham Intermediate School District to provide transportation services. Dean provides the bus drivers and fleet. The intermediate district provides routing services. I believe we are in our tenth year of this partnership. Each year the district assesses its transportation needs, and routes are developed to meet those needs,” said Richard Pugh.
A statement signed by both Richard Pugh and Leyko was released on Sept. 8 and was sent to parents of students who attend East Lansing Public Schools. The statement presents several solutions that may ease the effects of the shortage.
“We are also looking at bus rider counts to see if we can consolidate any routes. While consolidating down to 11 routes would help more routes to be covered daily, it would, of course, increase the number of riders on the remaining routes,” the statement said.
The statement also confirmed a pay increase for drivers. The statement confirmed that there were 10 new drivers in the hiring process.
Additionally, the statement explained that it takes about six to eight weeks before a new driver can begin driving a route.
The statement notes that when it comes to the bus driver shortage, “Special education transportation is being prioritized over general education county-wide.”
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