Dallas ISD Dealing With Bus Driver Shortage
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Three days into the new school year, the Dallas Independent School District is short as many as 100 bus drivers to take students to and from school.
The district was asking current employees to consider picking up extra shifts driving a route until more drivers could be hired over the weekend.
The shortage caused tennis teams from two high schools to cancel planned activities Tuesday, due to drivers needing to pick up elementary school students.
Routes were still being adjusted Wednesday, but the district said on-time arrivals were improving.
"We felt like we were 10 to 20 short, based on the people who had applied and the people who accepted the jobs," said deputy superintendent for operations Scott Layne. "But accepting the job doesn't necessarily mean they show up."
Layne said the district was asking some employees to drive smaller, nine-passenger vans to help out on the 800 routes.
The vehicles do not require a commercial drivers license to operate, Layne said, but the district was requiring a four-hour safety course.
A hiring fair is planned for the weekend, for both drivers and bus monitors.