NORTHEAST OHIO — Years into the bus driver shortage, some Northeast Ohio school districts continue to feel the effects of it.
Independence Local Schools is one of them. Superintendent Kelli Cogan said the district limped by last year.
"There were many times when we had to double up on routes," she said. "There were times when I had to call and say we were going to be late arriving or late picking up."
At the end of last school year, two drivers retired and left the district with more routes than there were drivers. It led the district to cut high school students from its routes.
Independence Local Schools is part of the 90% of school districts nationwide that still report a shortage of bus drivers.
Doug Palmer, a transportation consultant with the Ohio School Boards Association, said the years-long shortage still isn't getting any better. He said the problem still lingers because of low pay and a lack of training. With the average age of bus drivers sitting at 54, people are constantly retiring without someone to replace them.
Palmer's research shows that creativity and community outreach are what's getting people in the driver's seat.
"People are having a lot of success with this come drive a bus, take it around the block. See if you think you can handle it," he said.
Solon City Schools can attest to that.
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Superintendent Fred Boland said their "Drive a Bus" event was a big draw. Those events, coupled with paid training, have brought the district up to a more comfortable driver and bus route ratio.
"I will never say that we don't need drivers," Boland said. "Every single day is a day that we need drivers. We are nowhere near the safe zone to say it's fine. If you want to drive, we'll take you."
On top of paid training and a competitive wage, Independence Local Schools is taking Palmer's advice and getting creative with the recruitment process.
Cogan said calls have come in after a school bus with a recruit banner rode in the Independence Home Days parade and sat at the ACE Hardware on Brecksville Road for a few weeks.
"We're just trying to think creatively about how we can entice people to become bus drivers," she said.
Hopefully, opening seats up to all students by Spring.
"Right now," Cogan said. "My fingers are crossed and my hope is up."
