Several counties face school bus driver shortages in Denver metro area

School is starting in Jefferson County and is taking a different approach to try to get kids to school due to a bus driver shortage.

Valerie Mora is with the district's transportation department.

"I'm not usually a desperate person, but we are desperate," she said.

That's because there's not enough drivers to handle all the Jeffco school bus routes. 

So parents received a message that many bus stops are going away and being replaced by a series of hubs. Not all routes will be impacted.

"We created hub stops so parents can bring their children there and we can pick them all up in one scoop," Mora explained. 

19 bus routes are being eliminated requiring parents to get their kids to their school or one of the bus hub points. 

Stephanie Ruswick has a boy starting kindergarten and she works.

"Really it's just the timing and having to spend 45 minutes to take my kid to school and make sure I pick him up on time too," Ruswick said. 

She lives up in Coal Creek Canyon and is worried about safety in the mountains.

"You can't have your kids walking, even a mile, because there are bears moose, even mountain lions. I have had all those in my yard," Ruswick said.

The district is asking parents to help out by driving the kids when possible. 

"You know we can't do this alone. We need our community and everybody helping us getting each and every student possible to school," Mora added. 

New bus drivers are being recruited at $23 an hour pay. And as they said, they are desperate. The phone number and reply bus driver position is 303-982-2324.