School bus driver shortages are impacting many school districts heading into the new school year.
In June, we reported that the Westmont Hilltop school district announced it would change distances children have to walk.
Today, both the Westmont Hilltop superintendent and a parent about the school bus plans for this school year.
Thomas Mitchell the Westmont Hilltop superintendent told Channel 6, “Since January of last school year our bus contractor, Mcllwain School Bus Lines been contacting – communicating with us about the bus driver shortage and how we were looking at that for the upcoming school year. And so this year we – over the summer we worked real hard with our contractor through our software Triversa and we were able to eliminate some of the bus runs to decrease the number of drivers needed.”
Last year, the school district depended on substitute drivers to get students to and from school due to the lack of drivers.
This school year, the bus route has changed will only 11 bus runs and walking zones which are no more than two miles to and from campus.
Mitchell continues with, “Were very fortunate in our area. This is a residential community, a bedroom community. So, the walking paths, there's sidewalks readily available so it is very convenient for walking students.”
Although school officials believe the walking zones to be safe, some parents disagree.
Patrick O'Connor co operates the “Concerned citizens of Westmont Hilltop” Facebook page and also has a child in the Westmont school district.
He says, “I think that they’re not addressing the school bus situation adequately. There have been many parents who have voiced their concerns to me and they are refusing to have their kids walk in any direction.”
O'Connor is the father of a student and part of a Facebook group full of concerned parents with children in the district.
He says one major concern for this school year is the bus driver shortage and the walking zones not being safe.
Another parent Christina Robatin told WJAC she wishes walking zones had...
“Less cars, less traffic, something where there's safe sidewalks to walk on.”
O'Connor adds, “They could potentially face, if something bad does happen , that they, there could be legal consequences that I wouldn’t want for anyone to happen to, you know. Especially if someone is injured that’s the biggest thing. Is the safety of the situation.”
The Westmont Hilltop superintendent says the district has increased the rate for their bus drivers.
But he says they still had to cut back on bus runs.