TEMPE, AZ — The Kyrene School District has confirmed to ABC15 it will no longer offer bus transportation for athletics starting this upcoming school year.
The decision comes as the district faces a continuing shortage of bus drivers, with 15 positions currently unfilled, according to the district. District officials say they do not have the staffing capacity to support both regular afternoon bus routes and transportation for sports at this time, but will reconsider if staffing increases.
"Our highest priority is always the safe and on-time transportation of students to and from school. Due to staffing shortages, all drivers will be driving afternoon routes, and there will not be enough staff to provide athletic transportation. Kyrene has worked very hard to minimize the impact of the nationwide bus driver shortage, but our district is no exception," wrote a district spokesperson in an email to ABC15. "Kyrene actively recruits drivers all year long, and should staffing increase, the district will reconsider athletic transportation."
Kyrene begins classes in just two weeks, but the looming start date isn't stopping the district from working to create incentives for bus drivers to stay and/or join.
At a meeting scheduled for Tuesday night, board members are expected to consider new attendance incentives for bus drivers.
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If the proposal is passed, a bus driver with perfect attendance or who has only one day of absence a quarter will receive $750 for that quarter, which is up to $3,000 in bonuses for the year. If approved, the stipend will go into effect this school year.
However, the problem isn’t unique to Kyrene, and it's a problem ABC15 has been reporting on for several years. Districts across Arizona are struggling to fill transportation jobs as the new school year approaches. In Scottsdale and Chandler, bus driver positions remain open as well. Starting wages in those districts hover around $20 per hour, and some districts are offering hiring bonuses in an effort to draw in new applicants.
To help address the broader shortage, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly has introduced a proposal in Congress called the Driving Forward Act.
The legislation aims to ease the burden on school transportation departments by permanently removing the requirement for school bus drivers to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL), which could potentially open the door for more candidates.
If passed, CDL applicants looking to be bus drivers will be able to get a CDL license without being tested on their familiarity and knowledge of what is "under the hood" of their vehicle.
Interested applicants can consider posts at Kyrene, Chandler, and Scottsdale.
