SILVIS, Ill. — For many students, the school day begins on wheels.
On Sept. 14, some Silvis School District students saw their busses arriving later than usual. According to the district's transportation director Val Schneider, the inconvenience is due to the bus driver shortage in the area.
"It's hard on people's schedules and routines," Schneider added. "We're having a hard time getting bus drivers hired, finding people that are in the position."
According to the district's superintendent Dr. Terri Vandeweile, they transport nearly 400 students a day at both George O. Barr Elementary and Northeast Junior High School. Having only four drivers for four different routes can be challenging when one is unavailable.
"The school district has normally five drivers and earlier we had a driver resign," Vandeweile said. "We hired a new driver in July and she's still going through the long process of getting her bus driver license. Until she is licensed, we don't have a backup."
Vandeweile added the process to get the license includes a training course and four exams. She hopes after the newest hire's process is complete to hire more drivers to prevent this issue in the future.
"We would love to hire one more bus driver, and we would absolutely love to have some sub bus drivers," Vandeweile said.
According to the district, bus routes will be combined on Friday, September 15. All students who ride the buses may experience a longer wait at the bus stop in the morning and a later drop off in the afternoon. Bus routes are expected to return to normal next week.
If you are interested in becoming a bus driver for the district, you can call the district at 309-792-9325.
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