Baldwin-Whitehall's bus driver shortage gets worse amid flu outbreak
It has been an especially tough week for the Baldwin-Whitehall School District, already short on bus drivers to begin with, now, some have called off because of the flu.
This led to routes being canceled and the district scrambling to get kids to school.
District leaders said that is probably their top concern right now - a shortage of bus drives because it not only affects students but also parents.
"There's probably no greater challenges to schools right now than getting the kids to and from," said Dr. Randy Lutz, superintendent.
It's a problem that the district has been facing for several years now: a critical shortage of bus drivers, including substitutes. Now, this week has been especially difficult.
"The flu went through the garage this week," Dr. Lutz said. "We had multiple drivers that were off sick and multiple attendants were off sick and we just didn't have sufficient substitutes to fill in."
Several parents have reached out to KDKA-TV expressing their concern with one parent saying the constant uncertainty surrounding bus availability creates significant stress and disruption for families.
Dr. Lutz acknowledged their concerns and said that they are exploring alternatives to get the students to school.
"We're doubling up runs, buses that may not complete a route in the morning, maybe they don't have a high school and a middle school, and elementary school, so we've been pairing things together," he explained.
The result of that, according to Lutz, is that students may be getting home later than they otherwise would.
"It's temporary," he said. "We continue to look for additional solutions."
Parents are also worried that bus cancellations will impact attendance and academic performance. Lutz said if that happens, the student will be excused for their absence.
"We do have an online program, the kids can get their assignments and their work from the teachers' canvas page, but it's not an equal alternative," he said.
Now, Lutz is meeting with other districts experiencing the same issues in an effort to find solutions to the driver shortage.
