Driver shortage results in reduction of bus routes

 RED OAK — A shortage of drivers in the Red Oak school district have resulted in a reduction of bus routes and a possible increase in students’ commute. 

The decision to reduce from six to five routes was done primarily out of necessity, according to Transportation Director Carlos Guerra who said the department currently has about eight full time drivers, five of which drive the daily routes. That number, he added, ideally should be upwards of 10. 

The recent switch in routes had a few kinks at first, but now, Guerra said the department seems to have found a system that works with five morning routes, all of which start outside city limits, and seven afternoon routes, which includes two in-town overflow buses because the afternoon sees more bus riders than the morning. 

The previous system had six routes in the morning and afternoon, all of which went to rural areas along with the city. 

Guerra and Superintendent Terry Schmidt said the new system seems to be a solution to more than one problem. 

“We know that we have shortages we are having trouble filling and we know that budget cuts are approaching so it’s a complicated question to how to fix all those problems,” Schmidt said. 

According to Guerra, with fewer routes, the district does not need to fill the two recent vacancies in the department due to a medical issue and a resignation, which while financially beneficial, also takes a burden off Guerra who had to pick up the slack in driving, leaving the office unattended. 

Also, filling the positions proved a difficult task. 

“This is not a normal job,” Schmidt said. “You work a few hours in the morning and then off for a bit then work a few more hours. Then if you want more hours, you can be assigned to evening activities, field trips and games. It’s not for everybody; it’s not for those looking for an 8-5 type job.” Schmidt added managing a bus of students is a responsibility not everyone wants. 

Aside from the job itself, the hourly wage of a bus driver in the district is not as appealing as that of neighboring districts.

Red Oak starts drivers at $10/hour while Glenwood, for example, starts at $14.50, according to Schmidt. Red Oak does offer benefits, which other districts do not, but he said potential employees tend to be more interested in the wage amount, discouraging them from applying. 

While dollars and cents seem to fall into place with the reduced routes, a student’s time on the bus was a concern. 

School board president Lee Fellers said commute time was discussed when the board was presented with the reduced routes plan recently. However, they were assured a student’s riding time would remain within the legal limits of no more than an hour for students in preschool-8th grade and a maximum of an hour and a half for high school students. 

In-town students will likely not see much of a difference in commute time, according to Guerra, with an average of 15-20 minutes spent on the bus. For rural students, five routes could increase their time, with an average ride of about an hour. 

Between the five buses, Guerra said an average of 200-250 students ride the bus on a daily basis. 

“We will try to use this for the remainder of the year to see how it goes and decide if it can be made permanent,” Schmidt said. “If so, we can take that into consideration during the budget process.”