Fate of bus drivers this school year unclear

With most students going back to school remotely this fall, the future for bus drivers in many school districts is unclear.

When COVID-19 closed schools in the spring, districts jumped into action.

Tacoma Public Schools sent buses to neighborhoods to make sure kids without a ride were well fed.

This system is how the Pierce County school district planned to start the new school year. Bus drivers would drop off food and school lessons to families who need extra help, but transportation funding cuts would jeopardize that.

“It’s almost impossible as it is to try to deliver education for 30,000 kids in Tacoma remotely,” said Dan Voelpel, Tacoma Public Schools executive communications director. “If we have to now not be able to deliver learning packets and meals to kids in their neighborhoods, that’s going to further hamper our ability to serve our students.”

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, which manages school funding statewide, said districts will get their full transportation money the first half of the school year, but the second half hasn't been decided.

Money depends on how many kids take the bus. With remote learning, there's next to none.

Voelpel said OSPI told Tacoma schools if money is n'ot used to drive students, the state will take it back.

“I do realize that the state is in a financial crunch as well, so they’re looking at every opportunity, I’m sure, to save money, but not at the expense of our kids,” he said.

Frank Metz retired from KIRO and began driving buses for Olympia schools part time three years ago. Monday the district said it i’s still in the planning process for the fall, which means Metz is in limbo.

“For the drivers that count on this as their primary income, that’s going to be a very big deal, and also for the kids,” Metz said. “The kids can make us want to pull our hair out, but we love them and we want to see them be fed and be taken care of, and we don’t mind providing that service. That’s a good thing.”

The Edmonds School District announced it is laying off bus drivers because of funding cuts related to remote learning.

If drivers are laid off, districts said it will be tough to get them back.

“There are a handful of hard -to -fill jobs in school districts, bus drivers is one of those notoriously difficult jobs to fill, not just in Tacoma, but across our state,” Voelpel said. “It’s coming down to crunch time and we need to be able to count on certain things happening, like this transportation funding coming through.”

Sept. 9 is when many schools across Puget Sound begin the 2020-2021 academic year.

Cox Media Group