BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — School districts across Western New York are preparing for a bus driver shortage just one month before the school year starts.
"Bus drivers and support staff, that is definitely a dire need. We're looking for bus drivers. We're looking for bus aides," Grand Island Assistant Superintendent Michael Lauria said.
For some, the issue isn't so bad.
"I know that our bus contractor Fisher Bus is continuing to hire drivers. I think we're still a couple short," Hamburg Superintendent Michael Cornell said.
But for others, the issue is causing some concerns.
"We need 80 bus drivers. We believe on any given day we'll have 40," Niagara Falls Superintendent Mark Laurrie said.
This has superintendents across Western New York making a plea to the public.
"We are asking that if you are interested, or you know anyone who is interested in becoming a bus driver, to please contact our transportation department," Williamsville Superintendent Dr. Darren Brown-Hall said.
Grand Island Central School District has even gotten creative with their recruitment techniques.
"We had an event recently where we had come out to parking lots in the schools and practiced driving buses with our community members. So many of our community members did participate in that and hopefully that will help us accrue a couple of additional drivers for the upcoming year," Lauria said.
Laurrie said he made the decision to bump up the high school's start time 25 minutes.
"With 40 drivers, we can drive the middle school and high school kids, have them drop them off at the middle schools and high school, and then turn around and go to a neighborhood close to their drop off, to pick up the elementary students and get them to school by 8:45. It was the only way we could do this and account for only having 40-45 bus drivers," Laurrie said.
The Buffalo Public School District released a survey asking parents if they'd be willing to opt out of bus transportation to get reimbursed for their mileage for school transportation. The survey is now closed. 7 News asked the district for the results of that survey, but did not hear back.
