Shortage of bus drivers plagues Red Oak schools

A shortage of bus drivers in southwest Iowa is causing concerns for local superintendents at the start of this school year. Red Oak Superintendent Tom Messinger said it’s an issue plaguing several local schools, including theirs.

“It sounds like pretty much every school are having some kind of struggles, whether it be no substitutes, not even drivers to take [students] to the all the ball games, and having to consolidate routes,” Messinger said. “We are at the point where if we do not get more people to sign up and get a license to drive for the district, we run the risk of some of our extra trips not being able to go.”

Requirements for being a bus driver involve a lengthy process, Messinger added. A person can take students to and from school in a suburban or a van with a chauffeur’s license. To drive a school bus or any vehicle that is 12 passengers or more, it takes a commercial drivers license, and if it’s a school bus that has air brakes, drivers need an air brake endorsement and school bus endorsement. From there, candidates need to complete a 17-hour online course and pass a driving test for certification.

“We pay for the whole licensing process,” Messinger said. “We don’t expect people to go out and invest the money. We also help train people for the test.”

As a way to entice drivers, the Red Oak Board of Education approved a $6 per hour raise for bus drivers per route, and increase of $3 per hour for extracurricular trips and increasing substitute driving pay to $14 per hour. Regardless, the district is still short, he said.

“Three years ago, we had five bus routes, last year we were down to four and by the end of the year we were down to three. Currently we are at three bus routes. What that means is we have very little wiggle room in that schedule,” Messinger said. “By taking kids home and bringing kids to school on three busses, we are completely reliant on parents making sure they’re kids get to the bus stops on time.”

If a bus makes 12 stops each day and at each stop they have to wait three minutes extra for students who aren’t there waiting, that is more than a half hour in time the bus is behind schedule.

“Please make sure your students are at the stops on time. The bus routes have to be exact,” Messinger said.

If interested in driving a bus for the Red Oak Community School District, call the administration office at 712-623-6600.