SPOKANE, Wash. — Some Spokane bus drivers have left their jobs after opting to not be vaccinated.
About 5% of the bus drivers will be out of a job. Approximately 80% of drivers have been vaccinated while the remaining 15% have been granted exemption and accommodation.
This development comes just a month after a nationwide bus shortage began impacting students in Spokane Public Schools. The shortage even impacted high school sports in Spokane. According to Durham Bus Services, many drivers quit over the Oct. 18 vaccine mandate.
The mandate, which Gov. Jay Inslee announced in August amid soaring delta variant cases, requires most state and health care workers and school employees to get vaccinated or lose their jobs. Employees can apply for a medical or religious exemption, but there is no testing option.
Durham spokesperson Edward Flavin added that this is the greatest bus driver shortage its ever experienced.
Issues sprung up immediately following the shortage, as SPS parents reported buses picking up their kids late, or not at all.
One SPS parent, Devony Audet, shared her experience with KREM 2’s Amanda Roley.
"I get text messages from the schools when the buses are late and I'm getting these messages daily that buses are late picking kids up in the morning," Audet said. "Which means they are out waiting, and that's a safety concern."
This is an ongoing story and we will provide more updates as we receive them.
