Please Prepare: Bus Driver Shortage Impacting SoWashCo Schools

South Washington County Schools (SoWashCo Schools) is at a critical stage with a bus driver shortage that could result in cancellations or delays for bus routes in the mornings and afternoons.

If your student’s morning or afternoon route is expected to be impacted, families will be notified by phone, email and text, with as much notice as possible.

With this unfortunate situation, we are asking for your assistance:

• Please create a plan to provide your own transportation to get your child to or from school in the event you are notified of a morning or afternoon route cancellation
  • A route cancellation occurs when no drivers are available
     
• As we move into late-fall and early-winter, ensure your child is dressed appropriately for colder weather in the event of a route delay in the morning or after school
  • A route delay may occur  when a bus driver completes their regular route, and then has enough time to complete another route that does not have a driver

If your student’s bus is cancelled for the afternoon route, please pick up your student from school as soon as possible. Staff will supervise students at school until each student can be picked up in the event of a delay or cancellation.

On a daily basis, our mechanics and transportation administrators have been serving as  substitute drivers. We will continue to do everything in our power not to cancel bus routes. 

We continue to recruit new drivers and have excellent benefits. Pay starts at $27 an hour and insurance eligibility starts at 20 hours per week. Please click here to learn more and apply.

We understand bus delays and cancellations will affect families differently. We pride ourselves on providing safe and efficient transportation for students and apologize that we are in this situation.