SPOKANE, Wash. — As students prepare to head back to class, Spokane Public Schools is busy making sure they'll get there on time each morning amid a shortage of bus drivers.
Last year, some buses were arriving more than an hour after the first bell. Parents were upset and classes were disrupted.
"Last year's service did not meet our expectations," District Chief Operations Officer Shawn Jordan said. "We know that there was lots of frustration."
Jordan says the current bus driver shortage is impacting districts all over the state and country.
"Some of our students who were receiving transportation services are going to have to find another way to get to school or walk," Jordan said.
This year, the district is increasing the walk boundary for middle and high school students. Those who live within a mile and a half radius of their school won't have a yellow bus to take them to and from class.
Many high school students drive themselves or get a ride with a friend, but those who are used to taking the school bus will have to catch a ride with Spokane Transit.
"We are looking for [Spokane Transit Authority] to transport more of our high school students," Jordan said. "We have always had high school students use STA and we're just looking at increasing that and having that be the primary way our high school students are transported."
Jordan says only 20% of high school students will have access to a school bus this year. The district is also trying to make routes more efficient with fewer stops. That means consolidated neighborhood pickup areas.
"We are going forward this year with these strategies, one year only, we'll continue to assess how things are going," Jordan said. "We always want families to communicate with us if they have any concerns."
The district is still working with Durham to finalize bus routes. They'll be reaching out to families over the next few weeks with more information.
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