Nearly Every District in Michigan is Looking For School Bus Drivers
I swear every time that I drive by a school or a bus garage, there's a sign that says they're hiring bus drivers. Hell, all summer long there's been a school bus sitting in front of Grand Blanc High School promoting the need for drivers.
I don't know what these schools are going to do if they can't find enough drivers for the school year. I mean it's not like they have a lot of time to figure it out because the start of the new school year is only about a month away.
Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Pupil Transportation:
Currently, people are not even applying to be school bus drivers. They’re getting some applicants, but not near as many as they need.
I’ve talked to supervisors who said their superintendents have sent letters to parents last spring saying we don’t have enough bus drivers.
Think about that, some districts don't have enough bus drivers to transport the kids to and from school. I don't think anything like this has ever happened, a least not in my lifetime that I know of.
I had lots of folks who would be retired truck drivers or retired factory workers. They retire in their early 50s, mid-50s and they would be still looking for something to do a little bit. They would come and drive a school bus, and if they got in 10 or 15 years they would have another little retirement on the side. It’s a little different today.
According to WXYZ, just about every district in the state is looking for drivers and some have had to alternate between routes, telling parents their kid only gets a ride 2 weeks each month.
Of course, this is something we're seeing all over the state, not just with bus drivers. The restaurant industry has also taken a big hit and can't seem to find workers as well. Just about every restaurant that I've gone to recently has signs posted that they're looking for help. Some restaurants can't even open on certain days because they don't have the staff.