This fall, the general manager for All-Star Transportation in Waterbury, told a local news station that it was the “worst shortage we’ve ever experienced” and that they were down to about 15 to 20 percent of their drivers. However, a walk-out in the Danbury area this fall over the mandate yielded only a handful of missing drivers. In Connecticut, a COVID-19 vaccine mandate may have also played a role in the loss of a few drivers.
CAR GAMES BUS DRIVER DRIVER
The bus driver shortage is a local as well as national issue, felt by districts across the country. We reviewed hundreds of pages of police reports, criminal case filings and court data related to intimate partner violence in Connecticut.
CAR GAMES BUS DRIVER DRIVERS
We are doing the best we can!” Several parents also voiced their support and love for the drivers who drove their kids each morning and afternoon. “So, I had to drop off my oldest then I dropped my youngest at preschool.”Ī woman responded on the thread saying that “us drivers are doing multiple runs. “It was also bus 27,” another parent commented. Had to take my daughter to school and then go home and get the other one ready for her bus,” he commented further down on the post. “Why is it always bus 12?” one man asked in a local New Milford Facebook page on Dec. Their posts show how abrupt schedule changes impact their lives- with some having to unexpectedly alter transportation plans for their children on short notice. New Milford parents are now intimately familiar with the bus driver shortage, and post about it in local Facebook groups.
“We're doing the best we can to get the messaging out so that parents can make decisions,” DiCorpo said.īut some parents have voiced their frustration online. “The schools have also done a wonderful job working directly with parents on the afternoon changes in transportation that have resulted in the bus runs not occurring.”ĭiCorpo explained in the November board meeting that staff had been told not to mark students tardy if they were arriving late by car with a parent due to the change-ups in routes. “All-Star transportation has been notifying the district as soon as is possible if runs cannot be made and we notify parents and the schools shortly thereafter,” DiCorpo wrote. Bus 34 was also out of commission Monday afternoon. Three buses - bus 12, bus 27, and bus 34- could not complete morning and afternoon runs on Tuesday. Just this week, bus 28 could not run on Wednesday afternoon, and parents were notified that morning, DiCorpo wrote to the News-Times. The company has not responded to the News-Times since September when the paper first reached out for request for comment. This is the district’s fourth year of a five year contract. This fiscal year, New Milford shelled out roughly $4.1 million to All-Star as part of their transportation contract, a 3 percent increase from the year before. Yet, DiCorpo reported information this week showing the problems persist, with All-Star communicating that “a few buses” would not run and “they were different each day,” according to the superintendent.Īll-Star serves districts that include Newtown, Brookfield, Torrington and Ansonia. We hope that they'll be able to sustain it,” DiCorpo added.
CAR GAMES BUS DRIVER FULL
They had a full fleet today, and we're very grateful for that. “For a few days, it did become very difficult. 16 regular board meeting, DiCorpo told the school board members that the district had been experiencing “daily shortages with the bus company” and that “they have been working very diligently to fulfill their obligations to our district by sourcing other drivers from other bus depots.”