School board says staffing shortage causing numerous bus delays
After a number of school bus cancellations in recent weeks, the South Shore Regional Centre for Education (SRCE) says they are facing a shortage of bus drivers.
The issue has been causing a lot of frustration among parents and guardians.
In an email to families, Thursday afternoon, SSRCE says they recognize the impact cancelled routes have but it is due to reasons beyond their control.
“SSRCE has been experiencing a high number of absences this year,” explains the school board. “We lack sufficient drivers to cover those on leave or illness.”
To manage, they rotate the impact across different routes to avoid repeated cancellations for any single run.
“However, with fewer backup drivers available, these rotations have become more frequent, and some regular drivers are unable to return to work for an extended period.”
To mitigate the impact, SSRCE says they try things like asking drivers to double up, consolidating two bus runs into one, a rotating schedule and using drivers from other locations.
In addition to those efforts, the school board says they are ramping up recruitment efforts with compensation, flexible schedules and collaborating with organizations to find potential candidates.
SSRCE says they are optimistic things can improve.
Education Minister praises school board’s efforts
Education Minister Brendan Maguire says there are challenges every school year and buses are no different, but he understands the challenge when buses don’t show up.
“I’ve got three children” says Maguire. “It’s not easy when the buses are late and your kids are late for school. We’re doing the best we can.”
However, he says SSRCE reacted quickly to the situation.
“I will give credit to the South Regional Centre for Education,” says Maguire. “They’ve reacted to this. It really comes down to hiring people and getting those people well trained.”
