{"id":631,"date":"2023-09-02T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-02T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alliancewaukesha.org\/?p=631"},"modified":"2023-09-01T21:05:34","modified_gmt":"2023-09-02T02:05:34","slug":"waukesha-bus-driver-shortage-has-massive-impact-on-students-and-families","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alliancewaukesha.org\/index.php\/2023\/09\/02\/waukesha-bus-driver-shortage-has-massive-impact-on-students-and-families\/","title":{"rendered":"Waukesha Bus Driver Shortage Has Massive Impact on Students and Families"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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(Espa\u00f1ol abajo<\/a>)<\/p>

Waukesha, Wisconsin<\/strong> – A bus driver shortage in the First Student Bus Company is set to have a major negative impact on students and families in the School District of Waukesha (SDW) as classes resume on Tuesday, September 5, 2023. Families in the district were notified on August 29 via email that some bus routes would \u201crun late or not at all.\u201d Then on August 31st, families directly impacted by canceled and adjusted routes were sent additional emails advising of the cancellations and changes, giving families a very short window of time to figure out alternatives. Some emails even ended up in Spam folders so it is recommended that all district families check their Spam folder as a precaution. While the total number of students affected by the driver shortage is unknown to us, the Alliance for Education in Waukesha feels the negative impact on students and families must be brought to the community\u2019s attention and dealt with more urgently by SDW.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The Impact<\/strong><\/p>

The most significant impact the driver shortage will have is the loss of time in the classroom some students will incur. Multiple parents have shared with the Alliance that their students will miss entire classroom periods at either the beginning or end of the day due to some buses doubling up on routes. Some students will be picked up nearly 80 minutes before classes start; others will be picked up by the bus 5-10 minutes after classes start. In addition, some students will leave school 20-30 minutes before classes end; others will be at school nearly an hour after classroom time has ended until being picked up by buses. Beyond the adjusted arrival and departure times caused by the doubling of bus routes, there is also the possibility that some students whose routes were canceled will not have transportation options accessible in time for the first day of school. At this time SDW has not communicated with parents how students will be cared for with early arrivals\/late departures or if the loss of minutes in the classroom will need to be made up per Department of Public Instruction standards. There has also been no communication about how schools will handle the disruption of having bussed students coming and going during the school day. It is unclear how SDW plans to prioritize the return of bus routes if new drivers are found.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The Alliance is extremely disappointed that the school district hasn\u2019t taken a more proactive and urgent approach to finding new drivers to avoid the loss of minutes in the classroom and putting families in difficult situations. While there is evidence of a bus driver shortage beyond Waukesha, we aren\u2019t aware of any other local district taking such drastic steps and negatively impacting students. Transparency regarding the driver shortage is also an issue: there has been little to no communication with parents or the community to help solve the problem over the summer, beyond normal, annual notices of First Student hiring drivers.<\/span><\/p>

A Call for Proactive Solutions<\/strong><\/p>

We have seen other districts, both locally and nationally, be innovative in their response to staffing shortages. We call on the School District of Waukesha to use their time, creativity, and financial resources to urgently fill any positions left open, including bus drivers, teaching or aide positions, etc. Our students deserve safe, dependable transportation and a full day in the classroom. In the meantime, here are some suggestions from the Alliance to potentially help impacted families:<\/span><\/p>