The Rochester City School District is 70 drivers short of the number it needs to ferry all students to school and back when classes begin after Labor Day.
Board Member Beatriz LeBron confirmed the driver shortage in a Facebook video, saying it’s a result of the pandemic, and a national problem. Bus companies let drivers go when schools shut down classroom learning last year, and now they’re having trouble hiring new ones in the current labor market. The school district confirmed the problem on Thursday, and said they have been unable to adjust schedules enough to fix it.
A special school board meeting at 12:30 Friday afternoon will address the issue, but some board members are proposing using the buses to carry elementary school students, while high school students will have to find their own way to school.