Bus driver shortage in Fayette schools latest roadblock for return to in-person learning

First COVID-19 and then winter storms delayed the return of Fayette County Public Schools students to in-person learning.

On Tuesday night, school district officials said there was a new wrinkle in plans to get students back into classrooms: The district has a shortage of bus drivers and cafeteria workers as it plans for other grade levels to return to in-person learning in a phased-in approach.

Kindergarten through second graders are expected to return to in-person learning Monday Feb. 22 while other students continue to learn remotely. District officials anticipate having students in grades 3 through 5 return to campus March 3-5. That decision will be reviewed and affirmed next Tuesday.

The school district has 34 school bus driver vacancies and 39 school bus monitor vacancies and 5 employees on leave, and 48 child nutrition worker vacancies, officials said.

Eric Kennedy, director of advocacy for the Kentucky School Boards Association, said Wednesday that essentially all Kentucky school districts “are having a terrible time” with shortages, especially for bus drivers as well as almost all other job positions.

The district had earlier announced a plan to bring back grades 6, 9 and 12 in addition to grades 3-5, but grades 6,9, 12 were not included in the Tuesday night announcement about those returning March 3 through 5.

Acting Superintendent Marlene Helm said at a Wednesday news conference the shortage of transportation and child nutrition workers was the reason that the announcement to bring back grades 6, 9 and 12 the week of March 3 had not yet been made. But Helm said those grades could be included as soon as district officials feel comfortable moving forward.

She said grades 6, 9 and 12 had not been moved to another phase and they were still next in line.

Grades 7, 8, 10 and 11, were in the phase after that to return and preschool students were last in the plan announced previously.

“We have every intention ....of bringing back every student,” said Helm. “It may be that we come out with some really creative ideas of how to do it.”

The district wants every student “to have some portion of this school year that is typical and as normal as possible,” Helm said.

Helm said that families who want their child to be able to remain virtual can do that.

Fayette schools shut down to in-person learning when the pandemic began in March 2020. School buildings have not yet opened to students for face-to face instruction because COVID-19 case numbers have been determined as too high.

However, those numbers on showed that the rolling 7-Day Average of new cases has fallen to 97. Community transmission is trending down, cases among school-aged children are declining, and many school employees have received both doses of the vaccine, district officials said Tuesday

“The bus driver shortage has been a problem for years already, as well as substitute teachers,” Kennedy said.

Jefferson County schools officials discussed the shortage at a school board meeting Tuesday, Kennedy said. “But it’s something facing all districts across Kentucky large and small urban and rural.”

Kennedy said if Kentuckians want to “keep the schools going in person,” and have the appropriate qualifications they should apply for the jobs where there are shortages.

In November, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration levied $9,000 in fines against the Fayette County Schools Transportation Department after 19 employees tested positive for COVID-19 at one school bus garage last spring and one died.

A report in the OSHA database said an investigation opened April 10 on the Miles Point school bus garage found two violations resulting in two fines totaling $9,000.

Stephen Peacock, a leader in a Facebook group of Fayette transportation employees, said while the death of a co-worker might have played a part in some employees not returning to their positions, he thought red tape during the pandemic in getting the needed special drivers license to drive buses was a bigger problem.

“If it were a problem with FCPS transportation I would say so but I don’t believe that’s the case. Things have improved in the past year and we are on a better path,” Peacock said.

District officials said those interested in becoming a school bus driver or monitor or child nutrition worker should apply at https://www.fcps.net/jobs.

District high school director James McMillin said he had reserved Rupp Arena for high school graduation -- at this point there can be 15 percent capacity.

High school principals are discussing options for in-person proms and other events, he said.

This story was originally published February 17, 2021 at 11:14 AM.