SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — East Valley School District is facing a bus driver shortage that is leading to delays for some families.
In a message sent to families on Monday, the district wrote that it was "unable to provide timely bus services" and apologized for the inconvenience that it may have caused families.
"Like many school districts in Washington State, EVSD is experiencing a bus driver shortage," the message reads. "Transportation employees are key members in a school district and without substitutes for our staff we had to make some adjustments to our existing routes."
The busing schedule was planned based on current staffing but leaders did not anticipate some of the delays that families experienced, according to the message.
EVSD leaders said they will continue to recruit substitute drivers to help fill in gaps where routes need to be covered. The district may continue to experience delays that could impact many routes until its busing schedule is refined.
An application for substitute bus driver positions is available on the EVSD website. The job pays $11.68 per hour during training and $16.44 per hour once the driver is licensed.
Those who apply must be at least 21 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent.
In December 2019, KREM reported that growth in Spokane's economy had caused a severe shortage of bus drivers.
Development in the West Plains area, specifically with the Amazon fulfillment center, pulled drivers into other fields of work with higher pay.
The last major shortage was in 2017, according to Durham Bus Services General Manager Rhonda McLellan. But the shortage in 2019 was worse than previous ones.
KREM reached out to other districts in the Spokane area regarding current bus driver shortages. Spokane Public Schools and Central Valley School District have not yet responded.
Sue Shields, a spokesperson for West Valley School District, said the district is also experiencing a shortage right now.
