Nationwide bus shortage make a stop in Gatesville

 Three days into this school year Gatesville Independent School District Transportation Director Kris Raney was already having to shuffle bus schedules. In a normal year the district would be a few drivers short, but could make it with substitutes.

At the start of this year GISD was short by eight drivers. COVID quarantines and illness have only made the problem worse. Raney said coaches, teachers and even an assistant superintendent have filled in. But even with the extra help routes have had to be changed to ensure the students get to school.

“Instead of being three or four short, we are, on average, eight short,” Raney said. “We have a few teachers that have CDLs, but with their schedule, it’s hard to do their job and drive a bus every day.”

Bus driver shortages have been a nationwide issue for several years, in part, because of changes in federal testing requirements, low wages and odd schedules.

But with COVID, the problem has gone from bad to critical across the country. A national survey released on Aug. 31 found 91% of the 1,500 respondents said they had to alter service to elementary schools. Middle schools were altered by 90% and high schools by 83%.

In Massachusetts on Sept. 15 Gov. Charlie Baker ordered as many as 250 National Guard troops be made available to address staffing shortages in certain districts, according to a press release from Baker’s office.

No such measures have been put in place yet in Texas. But districts have been trying to incentivize people by offering higher wages and bonuses.

At their Sept. 13 meeting, the Copperas Cove ISD School Board voted to increase the starting pay for bus drivers from $14.65 per hour to $18 and offered a $250 incentive after working 30 consecutive days for the school year.

GISD currently pays $16 to $21 per hour, depending on experience. The Gatesville ISD School Board was set to vote on an $825 ($25 per week) bonus for this school year to entice drivers at their Monday meeting. The results of the vote was after press time.

CDL REQUIREMENTS

A commercial drivers license is required to become a school bus driver.

Federal changes made in 2016 now require applicants to complete a pre-trip inspection to get a CDL meaning they must be able to physically identify motor components under the hood.

Raney said GISD has a robust training program that helps teach potential drivers all they need to pass the test. He said he has trained 12 new drivers in the last two years and are having applicants pass their test the first time, which rarely happens.

“Each one of them came in thinking they couldn’t do it or the bus was too big or they weren’t going to be able to drive it, and each one of those people’s minds were changed by the end of it,’ Raney said of the training.

He said he goes to Waco with the applicants as they go through the tests so they feel supported though the process.

“We will take you though the entire process if you are interested,” Raney said.

That process is not quick and has only gotten longer as COVID policies shut down or altered schedules for state DMV offices. The length of time to secure a CDL continues to work against districts trying fill positions.

“The process for getting a CDL is what really hurts us because if someone were to be interested today, it would take them at least two and a half months before they could get their license,” Raney said.

He said the local DMV has a month wait to get an appointment to take the written tests. Once that is completed an applicant has to wait 14 days before they can schedule a driving test, which takes up to a month to get scheduled. After the driving test a 20-hour bus certificate course is required and the next available test isn’t until November. 

Even former long haul drivers with decades of experience driving 18 wheelers and hazardous equipment have to go through the process.

“Everything is spread out and it is a long process for getting your license and that’s what really hurts us,” Raney said.

GISD is looking to become a third party testing/training site through the state, something Temple ISD recently started doing. It would allow all written and driving tests to be conducted here in Gatesville instead of waiting a month to get an appointment at the DMV.

Raney said the district is going through the paperwork process and hope to have the program ready to roll out by summer 2022.

That may speed up the process — but the district still needs residents to step up and apply.

“What we are looking for is someone who wants to help their community, be involved in some way to get the younger generation to and from school safety, and be a good influence and role model for these kids,” Raney said.