Dear Parents and Guardians,
School Districts around the country have been facing a serious shortage in bus drivers for a number of years. (District) is no exception, but with careful scheduling and management has, until now, been able to work around many of the issues.
As we approach the last part of the school year, we find the situation at a critical juncture, and want to make sure that you are aware of the situation. The delicate balance that we have been maintaining has been thrown off by several recent and unavoidable departures of drivers.
As a result, we are facing daily challenges to avoid interruption in service. In spite of our best efforts, we need you to know that there may be a significant impact on how we are able to deliver bussing service to our students. Some of the changes that may take place will likely impact athletic and school field trips as the first priority is to protect routes to and from school. This means that for athletic events and field trips we may have to consider everything from earlier pick up times, to later return times, to using charter or private vehicles, and as a last resort the cancellation of some activities.
Our administrative staff and transportation team will be working closely with trip organizers to anticipate potential problems and solve each challenge as it occurs. As you can imagine spring athletics, field trips and other special events make this an exceptionally busy time of year for the transportation department.
We ask your patience and understanding over the next weeks. (District) operates a fleet of 64 buses, and transports approximately 5200 students to and from school each day. The logistics of this effort are daunting under the best of circumstances, and our transportation team does an excellent job of getting everyone where they need to be safely, on time and with very few glitches. They will continue to work hard toward that end.
Our goal is to have any interruption in service to be a rare occasion, but it is important for you to know in advance that it could happen. When it does, we will work collaboratively to find the best possible solution, and do our best to keep the lines of communication open.
If you have any question or concerns, please contact the Community Relations office at XXX-XXX-XXXX.
Thank you,
Superintendent
PS. Please help us spread the word about the need for drivers. It takes 4 to 6 weeks to become a bus driver and all the paid training happens right here at Portage Public School and we offer a sign on bonus. Please call the PPS Transportation Department at 269-323-5151 if you would like to learn more.
