MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, school districts across the U.S. have had trouble hiring and keeping bus drivers, and students said the shortage is adding hours to their commute.
Abeni Younger, 15, attends Robert Morgan Educational Center in Southwest Miami-Dade and typically takes the bus to and from school. However, with fewer bus drivers in 2021, she said things have been tough.
“I think they should have added more bus drivers,” Younger said. “They should have had a plan to prepare for this instead of having to take buses from other schools and other students having to wait for hours on end to get home.”
She added that earlier this week, her normally short commute home got a lot longer and more crowded.
“There was about 13 to 20 kids that got put onto our bus, and it was really packed and annoying,” Younger said. “We had to do about five other stops before me and my friend got off when, usually, we’re the first.”
Wanda Oliveras, Younger’s mother, said because of the shortage, sometimes she is forced to take time off work to drop off and pick up her daughter.
“The bus is overpacked,” Oliveras said. “It’s too many kids. There’s not enough drivers. I don’t think it is fair that there’s little kids, kindergartners, even teenagers, that are waiting two, three, four hours to get home.”
Oliveras added she wants the Miami-Dade school district to get creative, like some others have done across the country.
“I think that Miami-Dade and also Broward should look into maybe getting the National Guard here, compensating parents in order to get adequate bus care for their children in transportation,” Oliveras said.
A bus driver, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said drivers are overworked and underpaid, especially during a pandemic.
“It’s been very hard for us to go to work and try to maintain a safe environment for ourselves and also for the students,” she said.
She added that many bus drivers feel at risk of catching COVID-19 when they work, so she wants the compensation to reflect that.
“Nothing is worth losing your life, but especially the pay with Miami-Dade County Schools,” she said.
District officials said the starting pay for a bus driver is $15.26 per hour, and they are working to expedite the recruitment process. However, applicants require dozens of hours of training and need to get a commercial driver’s license or have a minimum of five years of licensed driving experience.
In the meantime, parents and students may have to continue dealing with the shortage for a little while longer.
If you would like more information or to apply to become a bus driver with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, click here.
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