Local fleets of school buses are geared up for school openings next week, but transportation directors are riding out a wide-spread shortage of bus drivers.

“We have just enough drivers to start,” Norm Justice, transportation director at Gorham School Department, said this week.

And neighboring school districts are in the same boat.” We will have enough bus drivers to start school next week, as well,” said Dottie Muchmore, transportation director at Maine School Administrative District 6 (Bonny Eagle).  “However, we are always looking for professional school bus drivers.”

Coping with a bus driver shortage, Joan Harmon, transportation coordinator for the Westbrook School Department, is revamping routes while following policies with no drastic changes. Some Westbrook routes have been shortened. “I could use four drivers,” Harmon said.

There’s not enough bus drivers, Justice said, in Maine and across the country. “It’s a national trend,” Justice said. “We almost hit a critical point last year.”

Harmon agreed the shortage is national, state and county-wide. She said there’s a lack of interest in driving buses and it’s difficult replacing veteran drivers when they retire. She has some drivers on the job 30 years.

Gorham has 30 buses; and besides bus drivers, the district has three van drivers. But Gorham has only one full-time, spare driver. “We like to have 4-6 spare drivers,” Justice said.

Westbrook on Wednesday didn’t even have one spare driver available. Harmon said she needs two additional regular drivers and two spares. She cites a lack of interest as cause of the shortage.

School districts, Justice said, are competing  with freight lines and construction companies for drivers. “We’re having a hard time attracting bus drivers,” Justice said.

So, Gorham has advertised for bus drivers and is even willing to pay applicants to train. Starting pay for bus drivers in Gorham is $16.11 per hour and Gorham will pay $14.92 per hour for up to 30 hours of training time.

Westbrook is paying $16.20 per hour for starting pay.

Justice said bus drivers are required to have a Class B commercial drivers license with passenger and school bus endorsements. Gorham’s advertisement stipulates applicants must be at least 21 years of age, and have a good driving record with “no OUIs.”

Applicants must also pass a state physical examination for bus drivers and pass a background check that includes fingerprinting and pre-employment drug and alcohol testing. Justice said federal rules mandate random drug and alcohol testing.

Annual first aid training is required and  Judy Philbrick, Gorham’s assistant director of Transportation, said CPR training is required every other year.

Justice said finding drivers is one of his two biggest challenges. Another big challenge is alternative stops for some children. As an example, some younger students after school are dropped off at daycare schools. Parents should notify the Transportation Department about daycare situations, Justice said, recommending parents call well in advance of changes.

Ensuring students are dropped off at the right location is a concern for Justice. “It puts a lot of responsibility on the district,” he said.

Philbrick said some parents change it daily and she is in constant touch with bus drivers by radio and cell phone.

Safety is paramount in bussing children. Gorham is conducting safety meetings with bus drivers on Thursday and Friday. “We’ll go over policies and district-wide training requirements,” Justice said.

Justice said Gorham has recently upgraded interior audio and visual cameras in buses. In Gorham, no one accompanies drivers with the exception of special needs buses.

The buses are ready to go next week. State police have recently re-inspected Gorham’s buses. “They’re excellent,” Justice said.

With school starting up, a big concern of transportation directors is motorists passing stopped school buses with red lights flashing. Gorham Police Department is reminding drivers to be aware that classes are resuming after the summer vacation.

Gorham’s Deputy Police Chief Christopher Sanborn said Wednesday many cases of  cars passing  stopped school buses are inadvertant. Sanborn warned the penalty for passing a stopped schoolbus is a $250 fine for the first infraction.

For safety reminders, Sanborn said Gorham police will post signs in school zones and utilize messages on mobile street signs.

For school bus routes posted on line, visit www.gorhamschools.org and click on bus routes; www.bonnyeagle.org and under departments click on Transportation Department; www.westbrookschools.org and click on bus routes under back to school information.

 

Norm Justice, Gorham School Department transportation director, says there is a shortage of school bus drivers nationwide.

Norm Justice

A CLOSER LOOK

School starts:

Gorham – Grades K, 6 and 9 start Monday, Aug. 29; all other grades, Tuesday, Aug. 30.

SAD 6 – Grades Pre-K through 6, and grade 9, Wednesday, Aug. 31; all other grades, Thursday, Sept. 1.

Westbrook – grades 1-9, Wednesday, Aug. 31; grades 10, 11, and 12, Thursday, Sept. 1; kindergarten, Tuesday, Sept. 6; Pre-K, Monday, Sept. 12. Practice bus runs for kindergarten, Thursday, Sept. 1; and Pre-K, Friday, Sept. 9.

To reach Gorham Transportation Department, call 893-2547; SAD 6, 929-3831; and Westbrook, 854-0807.