SALISBURY, Md. - Schools over Delmarva are facing bus driver shortages.
Schools in Talbot County, Wicomico County, and Worcester County say, they are not experiencing a shortage in bus drivers for pick-up and drop-off, but they are with substitute drivers. Substitute drivers are used to transport students to things like field trips and sports teams.
Wicomico County's Director of Transportation, Desmond Hughes, says they experienced a major shortage last year, but they have just enough now. Within the past three weeks they have filled 12 positions. Hughes says in order to get and retain drivers was raising their pay and consolidating bus routes. Hughes says, "driving a school bus is not a cup of tea. It is the only job, as a matter of a fact, where all of your challenges are behind you. So, most people opt to drive other types of commercial vehicles."
Talbot County schools says, "Talbot County Public Schools has been minimally impacted by the bus driver shortage, as all of our full time runs are staffed at this time. Where we are primarily short on staff is in substitute drivers."
Worcester County Public School's Manager of transportation, Kim Heiser says, "We were not necessarily affected by it here, in Worcester. But, I do know that when we meet across the state, they are experiencing a little bit of a driver shortage. Certainly after the pandemic, it increased. I do not know that everyone has fully rebounded from it yet." They are also facing shortages in substitute drivers.
But what happens if a driver gets sick and another has to cover?
Privately contracted bus driver for Worcester County, Harry Wimbrow, says those bus drivers would be working double shifts. Wimbrow says, it's exhausting. "Games might not be over between 7 o'clock, in the evening, and you could be gone until 10 o'clock in the evening. So, it's actually overtime. You are working on another time schedule. My school bus day starts at 5:30 a.m. and if I am running the bus for athletics, I never know what time I'm going to be home," says Wimbrow.
Wicomico County School officials say, they've lost 19 percent of their drivers, since the pandemic. They've bounced back in finding some drivers, but others are taking a different route.