ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Public School leaders are working around the clock to fill their bus driver shortage.
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The staffing shortage has been an issue for years. Although the district has made changes to make sure every child has a ride, it says it desperately needs these positions filled.
“The last time we had enough drivers was the 08-09 school year,” Bill Wen, the Senior Director of Transportation for OCPS, said.
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Wen said it’s hard to compete to fill the open positions.
“It’s a vocation that very many people aren’t going into,” Wen said. “It’s a bit challenging getting a commercial license. I think that’s a deterrent.”
Right now, the district is stepping up to help potential hires.
“We help those who do not have a commercial license get their license, both their permit, then we put them through class, then the test themselves,” Wen said.
At upcoming job fairs this month, Wen said potential hires can learn about their competitive salaries and bonuses offered.
While the district is still short about 100 drivers, Wen said parents can help combat the problem too.
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OCPS is asking parents to fill out a form online to let the district know when and if their child will ride the bus.
“That way with knowing who is going to ride, we can more efficiently route the buses and not go to stops that students aren’t going to use,” Wen said. “This will help us maybe save some buses, with the driver shortage that will certainly be a benefit. It will also make it timelier and more efficient for the buses to arrive.”
Pamela Johnson is one of the district’s long-time drivers.
She said some days, current drivers can really feel the impacts.
“On top of the shortage of drivers, we have drivers who call off, people get sick, people break down,” Johnson said. “You know, different stuff just comes. We do what we have to do. We make it work.”
Despite the challenges she said the relationships she builds with each student makes it all worth it.
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“I love kids for one thing,” Johnson said. “To see, me putting a smile on a child’s face, it makes my day.”
For more information on upcoming job fairs click Career Opportunities - Orange County Public Schools (ocps.net)
To fill out bus route information form click Orange County Public Schools : Parent Portal (classlink.com)
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