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More school bus woes

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Illinois

More than 8,000 Chicago Public Schools students will not have bus service on the first day of class on Aug. 21, a problem the district blames on an ongoing bus driver shortage.

With only half of the 1,300 drivers needed to transport students who require bus service, Chicago said it will instead prioritize transportation for students with disabilities and those experiencing homelessness. Both groups are legally required to receive transportation to school. […]

This is the third year in a row in which the return to class has been marred by transportation woes that have left thousands of students without transportation or with long commutes. The district, which contracts with outside companies to provide transportation, has attributed bus service snarls in previous years to nationwide driver shortages.

In an effort to help fix ongoing transportation problems, the district in March approved a $4 million contract with Education Logistics Inc., known as EduLog, to schedule bus routes, determine start times for summer school and assign bus vendors during the school year. The contract is set to run through June 30, 2026. […]

Last year, Chicago provided bus service to 17,275 children, or about 5% of students.

Looks like that new contract hasn’t work out too well. More money hasn’t helped…

CPS contracts with 13 school bus companies, and has added alternative modes of transportation like taxis and vans over the past two years to help deal with the bus driver shortage.

CPS says in the past year, busing companies have increased wages for drivers to $20 to $25 an hour and many have also increased recruitment fairs and added referral bonuses.

Yes, the labor market is super tight, but this is a national and statewide problem and has been a problem for quite a while. There was a time when school districts directly employed bus drivers. That’s not the case so much anymore, as districts have sought to slash short-term and long-term costs. It ain’t working right.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 1, 23 @ 2:44 pm

Comments

We’ll see if the most laborest of Mayors can resist the siren calls of corporate nonsense and actually hire public employees to provide a public service. I would put the odds at 50/50.

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Tuesday, Aug 1, 23 @ 3:01 pm
Another problem is the CDL laws. If the district is not willing to hire a trainer, why would anyone go to CDL school (min $2K) to drive a school bus for just a few hrs per week. In Central IL, I do not think you would make enough in one school year to pay for the schooling.

Comment by techman Tuesday, Aug 1, 23 @ 3:04 pm
Even weirder, Chicago has a smaller busing requirement than most school districts. The fact that kids in Chicago living 1.5 miles away from school have to pay for transit to and from schools when kids in other districts living more than 1.5 miles out are guaranteed busing is a serious equity issue that makes zero sense.

Kids shouldn’t have to stay home because they can’t afford CTA! Rep. Evans has had a bill that has been floating out there for years - it is time to fix this.

Comment by Kyle HIllman Tuesday, Aug 1, 23 @ 3:08 pm
If only there were a transportation agency in Chicago with buses that CPS could partner with.

Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Aug 1, 23 @ 3:18 pm
Dealing with kids and schools is delicate work. Really only negative things can happen it seems. To transport youth on bus and be responsible, no matter what it probably will be the driver’s fault if something happens. Working in schools much the same way. I gave up subbing because really the pay is poor, and you are left stranded. It is always the teachers fault it seems if things go wrong.

Comment by clec dcn Tuesday, Aug 1, 23 @ 3:39 pm
50 years ago, Mr. Brown, the grade school principal, drove the school b.us

Comment by very old soil Tuesday, Aug 1, 23 @ 4:11 pm
=== It ain’t working right.===

I think it is working exactly as intended. Privatizing school buses was only cheaper at the time by relying on exploiting workers and providing them with little or no benefits while lining someone’s pockets. When it becomes harder for firms that exploit workers to hire and retain employees, the consequences are a product of the model that was deliberately chosen.

We get what we pay for, and that’s especially true when government does it.

Comment by Candy Dogood Tuesday, Aug 1, 23 @ 5:07 pm
Having dealt with this issue directly for years I can say finding good bus drivers has never been easy. It has been easier for sure. Unless you have a lot of buses running during the day it is a niche market. USually looking for people who have a lot of patience a don’t need full time work.

Managed transportation from First Student or Laidlaw etc. is not a money saver and has not been for a long time. It is really more about the need to have someone else deal with it or the lack of local capacity to operate some of the larger system.

A local district (remember we are very rural) raised their hourly pay to $25 an hour for drivers and didn’t get any applicants. We were luckier. Local farmers etc have helped us.

Habioing teachers drive the bus is not a great idea. Buses run late and even when they run on time it means the teacher barely gets to class on time and cannot help students before or after school.

=why would anyone go to CDL school (min $2K) to drive a school bus for just a few hrs per week. In Central IL, I do not think you would make enough in one school year to pay for the schooling.=

We pay for training like most districts. I have never heard of a $2 “cdl” school. The training is really not to bad, the drug screen can be a challenge for people, it is restrictive.

Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Aug 1, 23 @ 5:28 pm
In Iowa, this has been a problem forever. They are always looking for retired bus drivers. Of course, retired drivers already have the training, know how to deal with students, and already have health care covered.
The problem is, retired bus drivers is a limited pool. Since they haven’t hired new drivers in many areas, there are no new retired bus drivers.

I agree with Candy, this is the consequences of a choice.

Comment by cermak_rd Tuesday, Aug 1, 23 @ 6:01 pm
The Pandemic was The Great Wise-Up…for lots of workers…who recognized their true value… tube/ toothpaste.

Comment by Dotnonymous x Tuesday, Aug 1, 23 @ 7:03 pm
Too bad the bus drivers aren’t represented by the CTU because then it would be a top priority for the Mayor.

Comment by Just Me 2 Tuesday, Aug 1, 23 @ 8:00 pm
There’s no such thing as a market-clearing wage for CDL-holding bus drivers when there’s a shortage of freight truckers who get paid more for the same credential and don’t have to meet nearly as stringent requirements for health, drug testing, etc.

===50 years ago, Mr. Brown, the grade school principal, drove the school b.us===

50 years ago, they were still letting high school juniors drive buses in a lot of places.

Comment by Suburban Mom Tuesday, Aug 1, 23 @ 9:30 pm
It’s not paying them enough. They can do whatever marketing or media to try and get more drivers but the job market of candidates clearly has decided that a school bus driver job isnt worth it.

Supply more money to employees and get more demand from potential employees. Simple economics.

Comment by The Dude Wednesday, Aug 2, 23 @ 6:59 am
===The Pandemic was The Great Wise-Up===

This problem long predates the pandemic. Try the Google. I even linked it for you.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Aug 2, 23 @ 11:52 am