Dear MSAD 15 Families and Community,
I am writing to inform you of an urgent staffing challenge in our Transportation Department. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are experiencing a critical shortage of bus drivers.
Our trainer/floater driver is now assigned to a regular route, and our Transportation Supervisor is covering when one driver is absent. If two drivers are out simultaneously, we will have no choice but to cancel a bus route or routes. Routes will be cancelled only when absolutely necessary, and cancellations will be distributed to avoid repeatedly impacting the same students. We will inform families impacted by bus route cancellations the night before whenever possible. Schools will work to provide early drop off and late pick up for impacted students when we can.
We continue to recruit for bus drivers and encourage you to share this opportunity with anyone who may be interested. You don’t need to have a bus driving license to apply, we can train you! We are also working to consolidate routes, which will mean longer rides for some students but provide us more flexibility and reduce the need to cancel routes. We will contact impacted families with bus stop time changes next week if we do move forward with consolidating any bus routes.
I want to express my deep gratitude to our transportation staff, who are working tirelessly and going above and beyond to ensure our students get to school safely each day. Their dedication and flexibility during this challenging time is truly appreciated.
I appreciate your patience and flexibility as we navigate this challenge. We are committed to maintaining safe and reliable transportation for our students while exploring every available solution.
Sincerely,
Chanda
Dr. Chanda P. Turner, Superintendent
MSAD 15
