Overworked Wake school bus drivers say parents need to cut them slack

The Wake County Public School System is about 100 drivers short this school year, despite recruitment efforts that include $1,200 bonuses for new drivers, district spokeswoman Lisa Luten said. The shortage has resulted in more than half of the district's 627 bus routes becoming "shared runs," in which one driver handles multiple routes, she said.

"So, some students are arriving earlier at school, and other students are staying at school later in the afternoons. This also increases the likelihood of delays because the bus has to make many more stops," Luten said in an email to WRAL News. "Wait times have improved since the first day of school, and we expect that to continue as everyone gets more familiar with the new routes. We kindly ask parents for their continued patience and understanding."

Three drivers who spoke with WRAL on Thursday said parents have been anything but patient this week. To protect their jobs, the drivers didn't want to be identified, so WRAL is identifying them as Jane, Sue and Anne.

'An F for bus service.' Some Wake students wait hours to return home because of busing delays

"When we pull up to the bus stop, you get the looks and you get the smart comments from the parents and the kids," Jane said. "We get a lot of the attitude because they do not realize we are short bus drivers and we are doing three or four more routes than we ever have."

“Bus drivers should be given more credit than we do, and parents, they do need to be mindful of the things they say," Anne agreed.

The drivers said the stress they are under with the extra routes is overwhelming.

"I am always tense. I am always scared," Sue said, noting the drivers don't have time between routes for a break. "We just need some backup. We just need some help."

Luten said the district is hiring and training more bus drivers, and they will be assigned in the coming weeks to areas with the longest delays.

But Anne said some current drivers are already quitting, exacerbating the shortage that those who remain behind the wheel have to handle.

"A lot of people have put in applications at other places. A lot of people are waiting on call backs. Some people are just waiting on a start date," she said.

The drivers say low pay is a main reason that drivers leave for other jobs. The district's starting pay is $15 an hour.

"If they paid a bit more, I think that would encourage people to work," Jane said. "Now, recently, with all this stuff added, they don’t want to do it."

The "stuff" she refers to is the coronavirus pandemic.

Students are supposed to wear masks on the buses, but the drivers say many don't and they aren't able to police it. Also, the driver shortage and multiple routes mean buses are more crowded, they said.

"You are having to double up a lot of routes because you do have less drivers. You do have three children to a seat, and they are not all siblings," Anne said.

"The loads are getting big," Sue added. "It is a lot. It is a lot to take in."

Parents should "strongly encourage" their children to keep their masks on while riding the bus, Luten said, adding that repeat violations could result in disciplinary action.

The drivers said they are committed to getting students to school and home again safely, and they said they hope parents understand that might take longer than necessary under current conditions.

"It has been a trying time to get them back and forth safe," Jane said.