Bus Drivers Needed for CMS

CHARLOTTE, NC — Transportation issues continue to cause major headaches for CMS at the mid-point of the first week of
school. The district is dealing with a serious shortage of bus drivers, leading to long travel times for students and plenty of frustrated parents.

On Tuesday, CMS had job openings for 90 bus drivers. At one point Wednesday, they needed 95!

“That’s a lot to fill,” says Carolyn Humphrey. “And so as parents, I guess we’re just really hopeful that they can come to a solution, and fill it quickly.”

Humphrey has two daughters at Randolph Middle, a CMS magnet school, who catch the bus at a shuttle stop. Their bus has been behind schedule every morning, and afternoon drop-off times have been anywhere from an hour-plus to 30 minutes late.

“As a parent, you know on my end, I get the tired kids at the end of it,” says Humphrey. “But I also know they’re asking for patience, and we’re trying to be patient as they’re smoothing it all out.”

CMS added neighborhood pickup for magnet students this year. But despite that increase, and the driver shortage, they say no routes have been missed.

“We’ve got some of our lead drivers out, folks who don’t normally drive the buses,” says CMS Board of Education member Paul Bailey. “We’re somewhere in the 40 to 45 range on that, and we’re able to cover those routes.”

Driving a school bus is certainly a demanding job. Drivers must pass a written and road test; and they are paid an average of about $12 an hour.

Bailey is confident the district will fill the open positions, and that first week transportation issues will soon be in the rear view mirror.

“Each day, we’re getting better and better,” says Bailey. “The buses are getting closer to the scheduled times, and we’ll improve as time goes on. But this is pretty much a routine type thing at the beginning of school.”

Bailey also says CMS has people taking bus driving classes right now who will soon be behind the wheel, helping fill some of those open positions.