Bus Driver Shortage Forces Schools to Cut Service, Pay Parents to Transport Kids.

The School District of Philadelphia is facing a bus-driver shortage and has implemented a program where parents are paid $300 a month to transport their children to and from school. Over 8,500 families have signed up for the program, which is expected to cost the district $31.2 million this school year. The shortage of bus drivers is a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and job hopping. Other districts, such as Jefferson County Public Schools in Kentucky and Chicago Public Schools, are also dealing with bus-driver shortages and are implementing measures such as canceling bus routes and providing free-transit cards to eligible students. However, some districts, like the Boston Public Schools district, have successfully recruited and retained bus drivers by offering higher wages and better working conditions. The National Association for Pupil Transportation suggests that districts need to work year-round on hiring and retaining bus drivers to address the shortage. [Extracted from the article]