![]() ![]() Applications can also be made by clicking here. at West Creek High School (1210 West Creek Coyote Trail). While being responsible for these students can sound overwhelming, Clark told NewsChannel 5 the experience, so far, has rewarded her two-fold.Īnyone interested in becoming a bus driver can get more information or apply at an upcoming job fair on Saturday, March 27. In Montgomery County, more than 20,000 students rely on school buses each day. "It's relationship building when you drive the bus and take that time to talk to them." She says it gave her an extra opportunity to bond with her students. "Students thought it was special that their principal was driving the bus," Clark said. In January, she became certified and did her first official bus route last week. ![]() "They see me in the hallways and classroom but they couldn't believe I was behind the bus."Ĭlark started training in October to become a bus driver. "After the students stay in the hallway for awhile you realize gosh it's sad. (WTVF) - Principal Emily Clark of Norman Smith Elementary School in Clarksville has taken her dedication to her students to another level.Ĭlark noticed the bus driver shortage in Clarksville-Montgomery County schools only got worse during the pandemic so she decided to do something about it. One company is exposing the myths and bringing hope to transportation departments in the form of lower bus counts and reduced staff burnout. But there are myths related to the shortage, and they are making a difficult year even more challenging. ![]() Gunther said he remains skeptical that Zum purchasing 250 new buses will fix a driver shortage that has persisted for years, especially as drivers are pulled from existing contractors still serving the school system.CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. The driver shortage is hurting school bus operations everywhere. “The mediation is still ongoing and therefore, the school system is unable to comment,” Bassett said in an email Wednesday.Ĭontractors say they are still in the dark as to how existing contracts will be combined with the 288 routes awarded to Tip Top and Zum for the new school year. 17 but contractors say they haven’t heard an offer from the school system’s mediation team since March. The lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice - meaning it can still be refiled - on Jan. While the school board rescinded the terminations in December after 18 contractors filed a class-action lawsuit, they then awarded 288 routes to Zum and Tip Top Transportation, an existing contractor, in January. To implement later start times, the school board approved a series of transportation overhauls, including expanding student walk zones, mandating bus rider registration and voting in June 2022 to terminate all existing local contracts in order to bid out all routes to new vendors. But double backs will be eliminated next year since all school bell times were condensed into three tiers, affording drivers less flexibility with their schedules. “It’s an equal employment opportunity and people should make their decision where they want to be.”ĭespite the county’s driver shortage, HCPSS maintained service for its 478 routes this year through the use of “double backs,” in which drivers pick up and drop off one group of students before returning to pick up a second group for a separate route. “Drivers who might be displaced because of half of the contract being awarded to us, who feel that they might get displaced, we have a job for them,” Garg said. While Howard County is Zum’s first East Coast operation, the company also serves school districts in California, Washington, Texas, Illinois and Tennessee. is 4.9 and that any parent who gives a three-star or below review will receive a same-day call from Zum staff to ask what went wrong. There’s driver accountability at all times.” Tennessees Cleveland City Schools and Meigs County Schools have also reported being tight on school bus drivers this year. “It keeps drivers safe, it keeps kids safe. “It’s well overdue if you ask me,” Seal said. “A big thing for most bus drivers is the pay and very few contractors offer 401Ks,” Seal said.Īlong with receiving more benefits, Seal said she was impressed by Zum’s technology platforms, which includes an app that lets parents track a bus’s location, view a driver’s profile and even rate their child’s ride on a five-point scale. Enterprises but left in April to join Zum after being offered the chance to train fellow drivers as a state-certified instructor. Baltimore resident Chrissy Seal had driven buses in Howard for 14 years with contractor M.B.G. ![]()
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