Columbia Falls School District 6 opened its doors to students on Aug. 26 and is already confronting a dilemma facing the rest of the valley: a labor shortage. The lack of bus drivers has complicated district operations and, with no flexibility, workers already fear exhaustion.
Currently, there are not enough drivers to cover all SD 6 routes, and in order to fulfill its students’ transportation needs, additional staff members are faced with additional responsibilities; mechanics and supervisors are stepping behind the wheel.
Bus driver shortages are not new in SD 6. For at least two years, the district has navigated the lack of drivers. The start of this school year, however, has been more difficult to steer, as the pool of applicants has dried up.
Shortages have yet to cause cancelations for school sports or field trips, but Jodee Perkins, transportation secretary and dispatch of Columbia Falls SD 6, believes the day-to-day scramble for drivers is unsustainable.
“Even though school just started our schedules are already hectic,” Perkins said.
Junior high and high school activities risk delays as current drivers are spread thin across numerous tasks and school needs. Students must wait for the next available driver to complete their afternoon route before they can attend a game or class excursion, Perkins said.
There are 21 bus drivers at SD 6, but Perkins stressed that is not nearly enough. As a result, mechanics are taken away from other responsibilities, like maintaining mowers, vans, and other equipment the district owns, and are instead driving routes every single day. The district’s transportation supervisor Bob Rupp cannot manage all the drivers because he’s driving students too.
While shortages are overextending staff members, they have also placed more pressure onto bus drivers; drivers are undertaking extra sanitization duties, and vacations, time off and sick days are, for now, unimaginable.
Amanda King has been a route driver with Columbia Falls SD 6 for four years and is a mother to three kids. Working the same hours as her children, with weekends and holidays off, drew King to pursue the job in the first place. But she is now worried that in the event a coworker calls in sick, or requests time off, other drivers will have to combine routes.
Most complete routes take about three hours; this includes pick up at 6:50 a.m. and drop off at 2:50 p.m. Prior to the shortages, extra curricular transportation was an opportunity for additional income, but now is mandatory through rotation.
Drivers often consist of retirees who seek a shorter workday. And a driver’s schedule, Perkins said, is ideal for mothers or fathers who want to have the same schedule as their kids in school.
Perkins, who has worked with SD 6 for nine years, understands how crucial a role bus drivers play in the day-to-day of students’ lives.
“Bus drivers keep our kids safe on the road and they deal with all those different ages and grades,” Perkins said. “They are the first face a student sees at the start of their day and the last one too. The impact is hard to describe.”
Although bus drivers are required to have a commercial drivers license, Perkins and Rupp are willing and able to train drivers: “We will set anyone up with a mechanic and help train them,” Perkins said. “Anyone can do it.”
King, who did not have her commercial license before driving with the school, insisted that training is easy and worthwhile.
“Driving the bus is not as intimidating as it seems,” King said. “It’s also been rewarding to get to know the kids and make sure they get home safe.”
To learn more about becoming a school bus driver for SD 6, visit cfmtschools.net or call Bob Rupp (406) 892 6550.