Wake County school bus shortage leaves some parents scrambling to get students to school
Some students wait and wait for their bus only to realize the bus isn’t coming; This has played over and over again and parents and students are frustrated.
Lately, Luis Perez’s seven-passenger SUV has had every seat filled with students who need a ride to school.
“I put two in the middle and three in the back,” said Perez.
This is Perez’s reality because Wake County has a bus driver shortage.
The lack of drivers has turned his family vehicle into a form of public transportation.
It all starts at 7 a.m. when Perez is alerted his son’s bus doesn’t have a driver, so he picks up his 8-year-old from the bus stop and then fellow classmates pile in.
“As soon as they see my son get in the car they asked my son for a ride," said Perez. "It is hard to say no. As long as their parents give their consent I’m more than happy to.”
According to Wake County, this isn’t just a county issue but a national, lingering bus driver shortage problem.
Wake County Schools has tried to address it by paying more to bus drivers, adding a $1200 dollar sign-on bonus and increasing recruitment.
But it's still is not enough. Some parents have had to send their kids to school via uber and the students are seeing the impact.
“It is pretty bad," said one student. "Two buses are gone every day and can’t come or don’t have a driver.”
Perez said not knowing if there will be transportation from day to day is tough, but he said what’s tougher is telling other kids he doesn’t have the room to take them to school.
"Kids that really want to go to school I already have five in the car and they are begging me to bring more," said Perez. "I hate to turn them down. I don’t have any options."
Some students who are not picked up from school return home, Which includes students who are on free and reduced lunch who may not have a meal to go home to.
