School bus routes canceled due to driver shortage

BOYD COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) – A shortage of bus drivers is forcing Boyd County Schools to rework their routes.

The district operates 22 regular bus lines, but two of them are driverless.

Boyd County Schools Superintendent Bill Boblett said this is an issue happening across Kentucky.

“Our district, like other districts across the commonwealth, is struggling to find bus drivers,” Boblett said. “It’s a tough job. It’s a good job and it can be very rewarding, but it’s a tough job. It’s hard to find people willing to get up early in the morning and run their bus; taking the kids to school, and then coming back in the afternoon and taking those same kids home. It is a difficult job.”

Starting November 1, the province will cancel one bus route every week.

Cancellations will be rotated throughout the district.

Transportation Director Cheryl Caldwell said they are looking for drivers who love children and want to help their community.

She said income is one reason for the shortage.

“Most families need two full-time incomes,” Caldwell says. “Bus driving – it pays pretty well per hour, but it’s a part-time job.”

Caldwell said they are already receiving applications for new drivers, but it will take time for them to be trained and certified.

“We are doing everything we can to recruit drivers,” she said. “However, it is a slow process. Hiring someone to drive a school bus then requires training. We need to get them a CDL with a passenger endorsement and a school bus endorsement.

The province is still recruiting and actively looking for drivers.

If you are interested in becoming a bus driver, please contact the Boyd County Public Schools transportation office at (606) 928-7126.

You can submit a request on their website.