School bus shortage in Douglas County leaves parents scrambling less than a week before school returns
School is back in session next week and Tuesday night, parents in Douglas County are scrambling to line up transportation for their kids.
Due to a massive shortage of bus drivers, the district will operate on a rolling cancellation bus schedule.
A letter sent to families from the district states each student's bus route will be on for four weeks and then off for one week with this schedule rotating through the year.
Most students will be without a bus for seven weeks of the school year, with cancellations starting as soon as next week for some families.
So what about the families who pre-paid for an annual bus pass?
They will receive a refund to offset the cost of canceled bus rides under the new rolling cancellation schedule.
The bus driver shortage is an issue DCSD has been dealing with for years as other districts offer more competitive pay.
Last year the district canceled three of its bus routes, while others were consolidated.
The county was working to get ahead of this issue last year, introducing school mill levy measures geared toward securing better pay for the schools.
One issue would have increased taxes by $60 million each year to attract and retain quality teachers.
It failed by a narrow margin with 49% supporting the measure and 51% opposed.
The Douglas County School Board has not made any official decisions on putting a bond or mill levy override on the 2023 ballot.
But discussions have indicated they will return to voters again this year, however, the mill levy could look different.
And if you or someone you know would like to become a bus driver.
Douglas County says it will pay to train you and is currently offering a $1,000 hiring incentive.
For more information, click here or visit https://www.dcsdk12.org/about/our_district/departments/transportation.
