(Grasslands Media/ YouTube)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Grasslands public schools grappling with bus driver shortage, suspends daycare bussing

Aug 28, 2020 | 6:29 PM

BROOKS AB- With school set to start on Monday, some students in the Grasslands Public School District in Brooks will have to find alternative transportation as there won’t be enough buses.

The district made the decision to temporarily suspend complimentary busses for students that reside within 2.4 km of their school. The move also impacts students requiring transportation to after school daycare facilities.

Under the provincial Education Act, school districts are required to provide busing for students that live more than 2.4 km from their school. Trips that are within the 2.4 km distance are considered complimentary.

Grasslands public schools Associate Superintendant Rhian Schroeder says COVID-19 regulations have meant a need to shore up enough buses to support the students they are required to serve under the Education Act.

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” In the past we have been able to provide some complementary bussing, but because of the restrictions on the number of kids we can put on a bus we have had to redeploy some of our equipment out to areas where we are required to bus kids so that has meant that some of our complementary bussing has had to be suspended at this time,” Schroeder said.

The district is also currently grappling with a bus driver shortage. Schroeder says the district is desperately looking for new bus drivers after a number of drivers left during the summer some due to concerns about working as a driver during the pandemic. Help wanted ads have gone out, but so far the district has remained in dire straights when it comes to recruitment

” We have not had a big influx of people coming through the door wanting to be a bus driver. Next week we will be using.. all of our mechanics have their bus licence and our transportation secretary, we are utilizing them to actually run some of our routes next week because we are still looking for regular drivers for those routes, Schroeder said.

A lack of spare drivers also means regular routes could be subject to brief short-term cancellations if bus drivers are unable to come to work due to sickness.

Letters have been sent out to parents advising them to have a backup plan if temporary routes are cancelled.

In terms of complementary bussing students, the district says alternatives are being explored for those whose routes are no longer being serviced.

“Last year we ran a walking school bus program in one of our elementary neighbourhoods. We are currently advertising for some more walking school bus people, so people to help walk kids to school on a designated route, ” Schroeder said.

More information about the transportation positions available at the district can be found here.

The first day of school for students is August 31.