Parents voice frustrations as Lake Stevens schools see 49 bus cancellations in less than 2 months

LAKE STEVENS, Wash. — There have been 49 bus route cancellations in just 49 days at the Lake Stevens School District (LSSD).

On Wednesday alone, five schools were impacted after three bus routes were canceled.

It’s not only affecting students but parents as well. “There’s really no solution. They just say it’s canceled and you kind of just have to figure it out,” said Cornelia Sarrys.

As a full-time mom and a full-time business owner, Sarrys constantly has her hands full. She has three kids who go to three different schools throughout LSSD.

“We were kind of surprised we got it, I think, a few hours before school started. So that was a shock,” she said.

Her day got even busier when she got a text message from LSSD, stating her 8-year-old daughter’s bus route had been canceled just hours before school started.

“They canceled it yesterday at 5:52 a.m. for my youngest. And school for my youngest starts at 9,” Sarrys explained.

If that wasn’t tough enough, she and her husband both work full-time. So when the bus gets canceled, they’re forced to find another way.

“We kind of call each other and text each other and try to figure out who can take the kids or who can pick up,” she said. “It’s pretty frustrating trying to figure out what we’re going to do and how we’re going to get the kids to school and also be at work.”

Sarrys is just one of many parents feeling the effects of a district-wide bus driver shortage.

With the weather changing, parents and students in the Lake Stevens School district are not happy about waiting in the cold for a bus that may never arrive.

“I think they should hire more people to bring the bus, because I’m sick and tired of waiting in the cold and then the bus doesn’t come,” said Gunnar Leonard, 6th grader at Lake Stevens Middle School.

“We get a notice like every other day saying, no bus for him or no bus for her and it’s just really difficult… Luckily, I’m pregnant and I’m a stay-at-home mom as of now, but in the past, my kids probably wouldn’t even gotten to school. It’s pretty bad,” said parent Ashley Leonard.

Ashley says her daughter is still expected to arrive on time despite dealing with an ongoing bus driver shortage.

“I was just asking my daughter what do they expect you to say when you walk in late because you went to the bus stop and waited 20 minutes to find out there’s no bus because communication isn’t that great either. And, you know, she says, ‘Well, the school isn’t like this. They expect you to be there no matter what,’” said Ashley.

This is an email that LSSD sent to KIRO 7 and parents addressing the issue:

Dear Lake Stevens School District families,

We want to address the ongoing bus driver shortage that is affecting our district. This shortage is causing routes to be delayed, and forcing us to cancel routes. We understand the frustration and inconvenience this has on your child and your family, and we sincerely apologize.

The shortage of bus drivers is a widespread issue, impacting schools, public transportation, and trucking companies nationwide. We acknowledge the stress this adds to your daily routines and the added burden it places on your children.

We are working to minimize the impact on your children’s education and your family life. To achieve this, we are implementing several measures including: doubling up on bus routes, maximizing bus capacity, and even having our transportation office staff step in to drive routes on a near-daily basis. We are also constantly working to recruit and train new drivers.

If routes are delayed or canceled, we will notify you in the following ways:

· An email will be sent to the email addresses on file in your Skyward account

· A text message will be sent to the cell phone numbers listed in your Skyward account

If you are not receiving these updates, please contact your child’s school to ensure that your contact information is current.

We would love your support in spreading the word about this important job opportunity within our community. Becoming a bus driver is a rewarding endeavor that comes with paid training, flexible schedules, and both full-time and part-time positions. Visit our website for more information or call 425-335-1508 to learn more.

Thank you,

Ken Collins, Ed.D.Superintendent

Training for school bus driving is approximately a six to eight-week program consisting of in-class work and behind-the-wheel training. The LSSD will pay up to 50 hours of training, along with pre-employment physicals, drug testing, and the first skills test. The starting wage for a new bus driver is $28.79 an hour. There are full-time, part-time and substitute driver positions available. You can find more here.

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