Transportation Updates
Dear Parents and Staff,
This message is for anyone that utilizes school transportation for AM pickup or PM drop off to the home and shuttle services between the buildings. The information below will take effect later next week regarding multiple drivers not being available to drive.
Due to the ongoing driver shortage, we want to ensure that everyone is prepared in advance when the district cannot run a particular route(s) on time on any given day. When this happens, we will double up routes to ensure that kids get to school. In doing so, we can guarantee that your child gets to school, but we can not guarantee they will arrive at their normal time.
It is vitally important that you know what bus number/route your child(ren) rides under normal conditions. There will be times when a different bus will pick up your student. If that is the case, they will ride that same bus home that day. We will send a school messenger to only those affected that particular day with the pickup and drop-off time changes. If you have not signed up for texts via our school messenger, you can do so by making sure your cell phone number is registered in PowerSchool. If you already receive texts, you are good to go. However, if you do not receive texts, please read the attached document to sign up. If possible, we will send the message the evening before to ensure you have time to make other arrangements if needed. That said, we may not know until the morning/afternoon if a driver cannot make it in. In these circumstances, we will notify you as soon as we know.
Potentially the AM routes we would run first would be the farthest routes in the district that are short a driver. When the first driver is done running their particular route, they will run the next route that is short of a driver, and this process will be repeated with the next available driver coming in from a route until all students are transported.
During the PM routes, we will stage buses at the transfer point (Middle School) while holding students until the next route is done and a driver becomes available. We will continue this process until all routes are completed in the afternoon. As the morning routes would be later than usual, so would the PM routes under this scenario.
At this time, in-town shuttle services from the building to the building will remain the same.
If you know someone interested in driving for us, please have them contact the transportation office at 712-527-9034 ext. 7000. We need yellow bus driver-endorsed individuals and will pay for all training required to become a driver. Wages are competitive, and upon successful completion of training, there is a $1,000 bonus. At the end of a successful first year of driving, there is a $4,000 bonus. This incentive went into effect on July 1, 2022. The position also comes with a free membership to the golf course in Glenwood. Morning and afternoon routes are available, and one does not need to drive both AM and PM to qualify for any incentives.
We thank you for your patience and understanding during these very difficult times.
Sincerely,
Frank Bachman, Transportation/Buildings/Grounds Director
Devin Embray, Superintendent 712-527-0087 cell