Waukesha parents feeling impact of nationwide school bus driver shortage

 

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- School starts Tuesday in a number of districts, but something's missing from this first day back in Waukesha. A nationwide school bus driver shortage has extended itself here. 

This is the email one in five families with school-aged children who use transportation services in Waukesha got Thursday night. The email came on the heels of a holiday weekend, only adding insult to injury as it's given parents no time to look for other resources. 

"Dear SDW Parent/Guardian,

You previously received communication because you are registered to use the transportation for one or more students. We are writing to notify you that First Student does have a bus driver for the route that your child will ride. Unfortunately, the bus route times have been adjusted to accommodate the bus and driver to pick up an additional route. Please see below for your child's updated bus route information.

We recognize this is an inconvenience for the students and families impacted. This decision was not easily made and only after First Student consolidated as many routes as possible, created a third tier when possible, and communicated with other transportation companies. While First Student understands these adjustments are not ideal, they are the best possible solutions to ensure transportation opportunities for the maximum number of students, and changes have been made in collaboration with the school district. First Student continues to recruit, hire, and train new drivers and will add back routes as quickly as possible.

As route information changes, individual families impacted will be notified. In the meantime, your patience is appreciated.

As a district, we continue to strive to provide high-quality, safe transportation services that accommodate the various academic and extracurricular needs of our students. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a bus driver, please visit: https://firststudentinc.com/careers/."

"Really upset because there's no way that they didn't know this before that," said Erin Williams, Waukesha West High School parent. 

Several routes now have no driver for Waukesha's first day of school, Sept. 5. 

In others, pickup and drop-off times have greatly changed as First Student bus drivers are forced to combine routes. 

"In some of the forums I'm in, one of the children would have had to be on the bus by 6:30, so...and the schools are not opening until 7. So I'm not sure if one of those buses is gonna be holding students on the bus until the doors open," said Williams. 

There's a desperate search right now online, with parents seeking help driving to and from school. Erin Wiliams has offered to be part of the solution with her minivan. 

"In the mornings it's gonna be me, my child and six more," said Williams. 

Williams plans to drop off at Waukesha West, then make a second run for children who need to get to Les Paul Middle School.

"It's been a full-time job, really, since Thursday night, with all of us communicating and friending one another and working together to try to make carpooling solutions," said Robin Jennifer Scott, Les Paul Middle School parent. 

Robin Jennifer Scott learned the new route times make her 6th grader 10 minutes late to Butler Middle School and then pull her out of class 10 minutes early every day. 

"And so I really appreciate, you know, all the other parents, and we're building community this way. But we shouldn't have to solve it this way," said Scott. 

The district's email told parents, "These adjustments are not ideal, they are the best possible solutions to ensure transportation opportunities for the maximum number of students."

It is a holiday, so district offices are closed. Our inquiry into the busing situation went unanswered.