More students walking to, from school due to lack of bus drivers in Raytown

The school district expanded the ‘parent responsibility zone.’

The school district expanded the ‘parent responsibility zone.’

THE SCHOOL BUS DRIVER SHORTAGE IS CHANGING THE WAY THE RAYTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT PICKS UP AND DROPS OFF KIDS. AND NOW MORE PARENTS, MORE RESPONSIBILITY FOR GETTING THEIR CHILDREN TO AND FROM SCHOOL. KMBC9. PAYTON HENSLEY IS LIVE OUTSIDE SPRING HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WITH THAT STORY. HALEY AND CHRIS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT EXPANDED THE PARENT RESPONSIBILITY ZONE, SO THAT MEANS MORE KIDS ARE HAVING TO WALK TO SCHOOL OR TAKE RIDES. AND PARENTS ARE FEELING THE IMPACT. WHEN THE CLOCK HITS 330 AT SPRING VALLEY ELEMENTARY AND CLASSES END FOR THE DAY. THE CHAOS OF SCHOOL PICK UP BEGINS. IT’S JUST BEEN REALLY CHAOTIC THIS YEAR. GUARANTORS LIKE MARGO MURRAY SAY, IT’S BEEN CONFUSING. I DON’T REALLY WHICH WAY YOU’RE GOING TO GO WHEN YOU’RE GOING TO GO. THE CAR LINE WRAPS AROUND THE CORNER AND KIDS ARE EVERYWHERE. THERE’S CARS COMING UP AND DOWN AND THEN KIDS ARE WALKING ACROSS THE STREET AND UP AND DOWN THE SIDEWALK. PICKUP HASN’T ALWAYS LOOKED LIKE. IT WASN’T IN TRAFFIC OR COMMOTION, BUT THEY HAD A LOT MORE BUSSES THAN IT’S A MAJOR BUS SHORTAGE. THAT MEANS MORE STUDENTS ARE WALKING TO AND FROM SCHOOL. FOR SPRING VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLERS, IF YOU’RE WITHIN A MILE OF THE SCHOOL, THERE’S NO BUS FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLERS, THAT DISTANCE GOES UP TO A MILE AND A HALF. WHAT THAT DID WAS ALLOW TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF OF ROUTES WHICH, OF COURSE, WOULD HELP US TO ADAPT TO THE SHORTAGE. EVEN THOSE CHANGES, THE DISTRICT SAYS, THEY STILL NEED HELP WITH SEVERAL MORE AWAY FROM BEING ABLE TO THE NUMBER OF THAT WE THAT WE OFFERED A YEAR AGO. THEY’RE DOING THE BEST THEY CAN WITH THE SITUATION. BUT I DON’T REALLY KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS THEY’RE GOING THE EXTRA MILE TO GET MORE DRIVERS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS TO TEST DRIVE EVENTS AND OFFICE STAFF DRIVING BUSSES. THEY SAY THE GOAL IS TO GET BACK TO LAST YEAR’S ROUTES, LEAVING RAYTOWN, PETE AND HADLEY AT KMBC9 NEWS. ALL RIGHT, BEN, THANKS. THE RAYTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT PAYS FOR THE COST O

More students walking to, from school due to lack of bus drivers in Raytown

The school district expanded the ‘parent responsibility zone.’

The school bus driver shortage is changing the way the Raytown School District picks up and drops off students.Now, parents have more responsibility for getting their children to and from school.The school district expanded the "parent responsibility zone." That change makes for fewer bus routes since there are fewer drivers. For elementary school students, the parent responsibility zone grew to a mile perimeter around the school. It used to be half a mile. For secondary schools, that zone is now a mile and a half perimeter. There are no bus stops in those zones. That means more children are walking to school or finding rides. Terry Gibson, the chief finance and operations officer for the district, said the district is trying to find bus drivers to fill the need. “I would say that the efforts that we're making to correct the situation are unprecedented,” Gibson said. “I think we're doing more than I've ever heard of in this in this particular situation. So, the efforts are being made.”He said they understand the frustration for families. Their goal is to return to last year's bus routes. “We're thankful for their patience and their ability to adapt to the situation,” Gibson said. “The efforts to correct the situation have reached the top of our priority list.”Pamela Hodle is a parent to an elementary and middle schooler. She said she turned down a job offer so she could make sure her kids get to school. “I was in the process of getting a job before school started. But then when they offered me the job, we found out about the buses,” Hodle said. “I did not take the position because of the concern about getting the children back and forth to school.”Now, she drives them back and forth from school every day. She said she thinks this is a struggle for a lot of families in the district. The district says it pays for the cost of the training for bus drivers – adding it is a full-time job with full benefits. On Oct. 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the district is hosting a test drive. People can test drive a bus and apply for a job.

RAYTOWN, Mo. —

The school bus driver shortage is changing the way the Raytown School District picks up and drops off students.

Now, parents have more responsibility for getting their children to and from school.

The school district expanded the "parent responsibility zone." That change makes for fewer bus routes since there are fewer drivers.

For elementary school students, the parent responsibility zone grew to a mile perimeter around the school. It used to be half a mile. For secondary schools, that zone is now a mile and a half perimeter.

There are no bus stops in those zones. That means more children are walking to school or finding rides.

Terry Gibson, the chief finance and operations officer for the district, said the district is trying to find bus drivers to fill the need.

“I would say that the efforts that we're making to correct the situation are unprecedented,” Gibson said. “I think we're doing more than I've ever heard of in this in this particular situation. So, the efforts are being made.”

He said they understand the frustration for families. Their goal is to return to last year's bus routes.

“We're thankful for their patience and their ability to adapt to the situation,” Gibson said. “The efforts to correct the situation have reached the top of our priority list.”

Pamela Hodle is a parent to an elementary and middle schooler. She said she turned down a job offer so she could make sure her kids get to school.

“I was in the process of getting a job before school started. But then when they offered me the job, we found out about the buses,” Hodle said. “I did not take the position because of the concern about getting the children back and forth to school.”

Now, she drives them back and forth from school every day. She said she thinks this is a struggle for a lot of families in the district.

The district says it pays for the cost of the training for bus drivers – adding it is a full-time job with full benefits.

On Oct. 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the district is hosting a test drive. People can test drive a bus and apply for a job.

More students walking to, from school due to lack of bus drivers in Raytown

The school district expanded the ‘parent responsibility zone.’

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