Pittsburgh Public Schools says there is no seat gap for upcoming school year
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The school year is just around the corner, but a challenge that still persists is getting the kids there.
The nationwide bus driver shortages continue, and districts have had to get innovative.
Pittsburgh Public Schools buses thousands of children a day, and last year some students did not have a seat on the bus at the beginning of the school year. This year, PPS said that should not be the case this upcoming school year, but it wasn't easy getting to this point.
"We're hauling the most precious cargo. We're transporting somebody else's children," Scott Labay with Krise Transportation said.
It's become harder to find people to drive the buses, and schools and bus companies are constantly looking for more drivers.
"It's definitely something that we're all trying to overcome," McKeesport Supervisor of School Services Tom Knight said.
For McKeesport Area Schools, it's the district's first year with Krise Transportation after a rocky relationship with its former company. Right now, the district expects that every kid that needs a ride will have one.
For Pittsburgh Public Schools, there is no seat gap for this year. The district is running a three-tier system.
Tier 1 schools have 7:15 a.m. to 8:05 a.m. start times. This includes high schools, 6-12 schools and special schools. Tier 2 schools start at 8:25 a.m. and are most neighborhood schools. Tier 3 schools begin at 9:10 a.m. and are schools with students who have to travel from around the city.
"Anyone that is eligible for transportation, we will be providing the service for them," Pittsburgh Public School Director of Pupil Transportation Megan Patton said.
Patton said routes run anywhere from 30-60 minutes.
What could be tricky is if any driver takes off. The district has just enough drivers right now with no surplus. Patton said some of the district's providers have plans to handle the routes when people take off.
Another district, Aliquippa, said it is trying to add another position on school buses so there is an extra adult on buses to handle children and give the driver some support.
