School bus driver call-offs affects Hempfield Area routes Monday

Three buses servicing the Hempfield Area School District were without drivers Monday morning after several called off, school leaders said.

The First Student buses — including bus 20 and mini-buses 73 and 66 — were affected, according to Superintendent Tammy Wolicki.

“Several drivers reported off this morning,” Wolicki said. “The short notice made it especially challenging for the high school runs.”

In a statement provided to the Tribune-Review, Jen Biddinger, spokeswoman for First Student, said, “We are having to double a handful of bus routes right now for the Hempfield Area School District due to a need for drivers. While this can create delays, it enables us to provide service to as many students as possible.”

DMJ Transportation, which operates mini-buses for the district, was able to support runs for mini-buses 73 and 66 for the morning elementary and middle schools, Wolicki said. She added that First Student worked to have other buses pick up additional students when feasible.

Families who were unable to find personal transportation for the three routes this morning were asked to email busroute@hasdpa.net.

The threat of a bus driver shortage has plagued districts throughout the summer and into the start of the school year, including Pittsburgh Public Schools, where leaders were forced to push back their start date due to a lack of drivers. The issue is being felt across the country, causing school leaders to provide incentives for bus drivers.

First Student, which is continuing to hire bus drivers via their website, firststudentinc.com/careers, hosted “retention parties” over the summer and offered a $1,500 signing bonus for new drivers with a commercial driver’s license. A similar bonus was offered to employees who referred a candidate who was hired as a driver.

Biddinger noted there are driver candidates in various stages of training at First Student. Officials hope to add those drivers to the workforce in coming weeks.

“The ongoing covid-19 pandemic has created challenges for student transportation providers, as widely reported on by local and national media,” Biddinger said. “We are no different than so many other job sectors that are trying to fill openings, including retail, restaurants and hotels.”

According to Wolicki, the driver of bus 20 will return for the afternoon dismissal and DMJ Transportation will cover the two mini-buses this evening.