Some parents and families within the Yelm Community Schools district have received text messages and emails in recent weeks informing them that their child’s bus route has been canceled.
Tamara Tyler found herself in this situation on Sunday, Oct. 22, and this wasn’t the first time she had received such news. Routes affected include Yelm High School, Yelm Middle School and McKenna Elementary School.
“I’m a single parent, so it hurts a lot,” she said of the bus cancellation. “It means I have to call my boss and see about starting earlier or just take the day off to make sure my son gets there on time. This last time, I was able to scramble and find someone, but other days, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
The issue is because of a shortage in bus drivers and transportation staff, according to emails sent to families and confirmed by YCS Communications Director Teri Melone, who said that the district is short “at least two to three drivers a day.” If there aren’t enough drivers on any given day, the district must either reroute, combine, split or potentially cancel routes.
Melone said the district has been recruiting for bus drivers for some time and has the ability to hire, train and certify drivers. Drivers must obtain a commercial driver’s license and complete training and background checks before transporting children to and from school.
“We thought we had a few that were hired that would put us flush, and in the end, we did not hire them,” Melone said. “We are about two or three drivers short a day, and we rearrange routes for that. But if we have anybody beyond that that calls in sick or is unable to come to work that day, then that’s when we get into the cancellation of routes.”
Yelm resident Angela Taylor, who has two children attending schools within the district, said the cancellations not only affect children getting to school and their families, but traffic as well.
“When one route is canceled, it forces parents to drop off and pick up kids,” she said. “This adds 20 to 30 extra cars that are not familiar with each school’s safety rules. It is mass chaos and has blocked city streets and has created a safety hazard for children and parents.”
If a parent or guardian decides to keep a student home due to a canceled bus and no alternative transportation is available, their absences are excused and families are not required to notify the school.
“If a route is canceled, we do our absolute best to give families ample notice so that their child isn’t waiting for a bus and so that they can make alternative arrangements,” Melone said.
Tyler said the answer to the district’s problem in finding drivers is paying drivers a sustainable wage.
“The bus drivers need to be paid more, period,” she said. “But, instead, the administration and superintendent always get the raises first, and the drivers get treated like dirt.”
Taylor concurs, adding that the wages are not high enough to cover the cost of living, and the hours are long.
“It is a very thankless job, and oftentimes, drivers can be verbally abused by students or parents alike,” she said. “It takes a special kind of person to do that job. I don’t blame job seekers for not wanting the job, and I also don’t blame the district or the schools. The front office staff and volunteers are doing a wonderful job of keeping the kids safe in a chaotic situation.”
The district is finishing its search for a new transportation director to lead operations. Superintendent Chris Woods said during the Oct. 26 school board meeting that the district had three finalists for the position, and he is prepared to make a decision.
“We’re very pleased with the pool of candidates,” said Woods, who added that the vacancy has not directly affected the staff shortages among bus drivers, but it has impacted how smoothly the department operates as the district brought in an interim director.
According to the district’s public job posting, new bus drivers will receive a rate between $26.25 and $28.02 an hour, as well as a $500 hiring bonus upon successful completion of their probation and another $500 upon fulfillment of their 2023-24 contract. Drivers must possess a valid Washington State Class B commercial driver’s license with school bus and passenger endorsement. Typical training to obtain a commercial driver’s license takes about six weeks. Drivers are required to have a high school diploma or equivalent and be at least 21 years of age.
As the district continues to hunt for bus drivers to solve its transportation issues, Melone said that staff appreciates everyone’s patience and is prioritizing the safety of the students.
“We just want all families to know that we are trying not to impact just one route or one school, which is why we’re informing all families [of the staff shortage] because, unfortunately, we have to spread out those changes so that not one student or one group of students is impacted in getting to school,” she said. “We’re trying to minimize that by occasionally impacting one or two routes versus the same route over and over.”
