Mission is growing short on school bus drivers but Jodi Marshall is working to fill the void.
Marshall has been serving as the Mission Public School District (MPSD) transportation manager since 2010 and also finds herself working double-duty as a bus driver due to a staffing shortage.
“I’ve always driven and in the last number of years with shortages that have come, I drive a lot more,” Marshall said.
Since the pandemic, the district has lost an increased number of drivers. Last school year, the district temporarily cancelled bus routes for the first time. A bus route was temporarily cancelled again in the fall.
“That weighs so heavy on me. I try everything to not have to cancel bus routes,” Marshall said.
With more drivers in the past, Marshall says it used to be rare for her to drive. Now, she starts her days at 5 a.m. to make changes for any drivers who are sick before completing her own bus route. She then gets to work as transportation manager and is back on the road for her route by 2 p.m.
“Quite often you take it home with you. It makes for very long days … there are things that have to happen on a daily basis. So it’s definitely a challenge juggling my own daily work as well as the driving,” Marshall said.
MPSD currently has 26 drivers. That includes six casual drivers, Marshall, and the MPSD mechanic. The district is also looking to hire three permanent drivers.
On April 5, MPSD superintendent Angus Wilson wrote to parents and guardians about the bus driver shortage, including the possibility of future cancellations.
The district would prioritize the routes that bring students to school from further distances and cancel closer runs first.
Wilson says the issue isn’t unique to Mission. Working roughly four hours per day is a hurdle for potential drivers looking for full-time work, he says.
The school district is offering Class 2 training with an accredited driving school for free to get drivers trained. However, training could take multiple months to complete and new drivers wouldn’t be able to start right away.
“We take it really seriously because these are people driving children around,” Wilson said.
Marshall says cancelling routes can be a hardship for families who count on the bus to get the kids to and from school.
“Ultimately, in the end, I can only drive one bus. I can only do so much. Our district has also trained one of our mechanics to drive. So if I have my mechanic driving and myself driving, we have no more options at that point,” she said.
Despite the staffing challenges, Marshall still loves driving the bus.
She started with the school district 35 years ago as an education assistant before taking a role as a delivery driver taking mail to different schools. Marshall then trained to be a bus driver.
“It was very accidental. I was sort of wondering how did I end up in this role? That was never my thought,” she said.
Marshall spent time driving larger routes as well as buses for children with special needs – which was a highlight for her.
“It’s all about the kids. Everybody says, ‘I’m here for a paycheque’ but we stay because of the kids,” Marshall said.
While the kids are the best part of the job, Marshall says they are also the biggest challenge.
“The driving is easy – that’s a piece of cake. But driving while supervising 86 kids … it takes that special person who can drive a school bus and also connect with those kids and build those relationships,” Marshall said.
Marshall praised the district’s drivers for their ability to adapt and fill in where they’re needed.
“The drivers are the unsung heroes of our district. It snows and they’re out there. We’re the last ones – everybody’s gone home and it might be six o’clock when we’re getting those last kids home but we get them there,” Marshall said.
READ MORE: Mission Public Schools cancel bus routes due to lack of drivers