Some Mission school bus routes could be cancelled due to a shortage of drivers.
That’s according to an Oct. 11 letter to parents from Mission schools superintendent Angus Wilson.
The main culprit is a shortage of drivers. Finding workers has become a difficult issue for many businesses and non-profit societies.
“As you may be aware, many sectors of the economy continue to struggle to keep employees presently; the education sector is no different, unfortunately,” Wilson said in the letter. “At this time, we are advising that Mission Public Schools is short on bus drivers; retirements, illness, and departures have made us very vulnerable to being unable to run our current transportation system.”
Wilson told parents that on many days, the school district’s transportation manager is driving a bus just to keep all the runs operating.
“Until this situation improves, it is possible that we may have to cancel certain bus runs from time to time as a temporary functional cancellation,” Wilson said. “Should this occur, you will receive an early morning email to that effect with information on the nature of the delay or cancellation.”
Wilson said the school district will try to prioritize its long runs as the most critical to maintain.
“We understand that this is a potentially upsetting event, creating uncertainty and inconvenience, and we are working to improve this situation,” Wilson said. “While we have a small number of drivers in training, there is a long delay before they can become active drivers, so this situation will continue for some time.”
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The school district is actively recruiting bus drivers - and other positions - on an ongoing basis, Wilson said.
If you know anyone who is interested in this sort of work, either regular or as a casual, the school district is asking parents to tell them to apply.
@shinebox44
chris.campbell@missioncityrecord.com
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