News Summary
The Mat-Su Borough School District has canceled numerous school bus routes due to a driver shortage, affecting about 4% of total routes. This issue arises from staffing challenges at their bus provider, causing disruptions for families reliant on school transportation. While the situation shows signs of improving, with no further cancellations reported recently, the district acknowledges ongoing challenges in recruiting and retaining drivers. Similar shortages are seen in neighboring districts, prompting various measures to address transportation needs.
Wasilla, Alaska – The Mat-Su Borough School District has canceled dozens of school bus routes due to a significant shortage of drivers. Over the course of Thursday and Friday of last week, the district canceled around 42 route segments out of 550 that it operates daily. A district spokesperson stated that these cancellations were primarily due to driver absences coupled with an insufficient number of standby drivers available to cover those routes. Fortunately, no further cancellations were reported on the following Monday, indicating potential improvement in the situation.
This shortage is attributed to staffing challenges faced by Durham School Services, the district’s contracted bus provider since 2022 under a nearly $200 million agreement. Parents have raised concerns about the late notifications regarding canceled routes, often being informed only hours before pick-up times, complicating family logistics. With less than 4% of total routes affected, the impact is nonetheless significant for families who depend on school bus transportation.
Durham School Services indicated that the driver shortage resulted from various factors, including leaves of absence and call-offs. The district anticipates that some drivers will return to work soon and that new drivers currently undergoing training will help alleviate the situation.
Previous Concerns and Broader Context
This is not the first time that the Mat-Su Borough School District has faced a driver shortage. In August 2022, the district encountered similar issues that resulted in the cancellation of regular education routes at the start of the school year. The situation mirrors challenges experienced by the Anchorage School District, which also began the 2022 school year with a bus driver shortage. To adapt, the Anchorage School District implemented a rotating bus schedule, impacting numerous families reliant on school transportation.
Currently, the Anchorage School District is facing substantial transportation difficulties. With only enough drivers to serve 7,000 of the 20,000 eligible students, this district has divided general education bus routes into three cohorts. This system permits transportation for three weeks, followed by a six-week suspension. Special education routes and students living within 1.5 miles of their schools remain unaffected by these service suspensions. As a temporary measure, parents have been encouraged to drive their children to school or arrange carpools.
In an effort to attract new drivers, the Anchorage School District has introduced a $2,500 incentive package for new drivers, along with an additional $500 for bus attendants for the first semester. However, despite these initiatives, the driver shortage persists, with a staggering 375 open positions across various departments in the district, beyond just transportation roles.
Future Outlook
As the school year progresses, the Mat-Su Borough School District is hopeful that the driver situation will stabilize as returning drivers help to balance the needs of students and families. Nonetheless, there is recognition of the ongoing challenge in recruiting and retaining sufficient drivers in the region. Moreover, the Alaska National Guard has stated that it cannot assist in resolving the driver shortages due to legal constraints surrounding their activation for this purpose.
Overall, the issues surrounding school bus driver shortages highlight broader challenges in educational transportation, affecting students and families in the Mat-Su Borough and beyond. As more drivers complete their training and some return to work, districts remain committed to finding solutions that ensure reliable school bus services for all eligible students.
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Additional Resources
- Alaska’s News Source: Driver Shortage Hits Mat-Su Students
- Wikipedia: School Bus
- Anchorage Daily News: National Guard Unable to Help with Bus Driver Shortage
- Google Search: School Bus Driver Shortage
- School Transportation News: Driver Shortages in Alaska
- Google Scholar: School Bus Driver Shortage
- Anchorage Daily News: ASD Bus Routes Suspension
- Encyclopedia Britannica: School Transportation
Author: STAFF HERE BALTIMORE WRITER
BALTIMORE STAFF WRITER The BALTIMORE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREBaltimore.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Baltimore, Baltimore County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the Baltimore Book Festival, Preakness Stakes, and Artscape. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Baltimore Chamber of Commerce and Visit Baltimore, plus leading businesses in shipping and healthcare that power the local economy such as the Port of Baltimore and Johns Hopkins Medicine. As part of the broader HERE network, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Maryland's dynamic landscape.
