SC Midlands schools must hire dozens more school bus drivers to prevent delays

Schools throughout the South Carolina Midlands are facing a shortage of bus drivers, which has already resulted in delays for some districts.

In Lexington, Kershaw and Richland counties, a total of 142 bus driver positions remain open, a figure that has only grown since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, school officials told The State.

Richland 1 had the largest deficit of bus drivers in the tri-county area. The district is 55 bus drivers short, which means it is staffed at roughly three-fourths capacity, spokeswoman Angela Crosland said.

As result of the shortage, schools in the northern part of the district, which have the highest vacancies, sometimes have delays, Rick Grisham, Richland 1’s director of student transportation, said in an email.

The bus driver shortage often requires other employees to fill the gap, Grisham said.

“The district is fortunate to have dedicated, professional staff members who understand the importance of their roles in the education process,” Grisham said. “There are regular school bus and activity drivers who take on extra routes. There are also hourly staff who take on extra responsibilities and work available hours. There are even transportation officers and one supervisor covering routes.”

At least twice in the last two years, Lexington 1 has delayed school pickup because of its bus driver shortage, The State reported previously. In November 2020, parents were told to expect delays in pickup and drop-off of students in Forts Pond Elementary and Pelion schools. In Late August, Lexington 1 saw something similar after having only half of the needed bus drivers, The State reported previously.

“A bus driver shortage is not unusual for our school district or any school district throughout the state at any time of year,” Lexington 1 spokeswoman Kathryn McPhail said in an email. “This is an ongoing issue that has persisted for years, worsening in the last two years.”

When districts are unable to recruit enough bus drivers or delays become unmanageable, school officials may ask parents to drive their children to school. That’s what happened to Greenville County Schools, which have more than 73,000 students but were short 100 bus drivers, The State reported previously. Greenville schools reasoned that if fewer students were riding the bus, the district could stretch its limited bus driver capacity further.

While the nationwide shortage of bus drivers is not new, COVID-19 has made it worse, according to a survey from the National Association for Pupil Transportation, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services and the National School Transportation Association.

The survey, which received responses from 1,500 school officials, said low pay, barriers to receiving a Commercial Driver’s License, lack of benefits, and difficulty securing a 40-hour work week were key factors driving people away from the profession.

The problem has become so severe in Ohio that schools have asked the National Guard to help, something South Carolina has also considered, according to media reports.

COVID-19 has affected districts locally as well.

Lexington 1’s 38 open bus driver positions already strains capacity, but last week COVID-19 or other illnesses sidelined an additional 11 bus drivers, McPhail said.

Richland 1 has had an increase in bus driver vacancies since the beginning of the pandemic. For example, in 2018, Richland 1 had only 35 vacancies at the start of the school year, Crosland said. Now, the district is facing 55 vacancies, she said.