Bus driver shortage addressed by board

School officials last week discussed possible policy changes to alleviate the bus driver shortage.

During the Alleghany County Board of Education's May 1 meeting, Superintendent Duane Davis said staff members are working on a policy requiring non-certified school employees to get a CDL (commercial driver's license) so that they can drive buses. He said he plans to bring the policy to the board for its approval at a later date.

The policy would apply only to new hires, he added, not to current employees.

"We're having to go with this policy simply because we cannot find bus drivers," Davis said. "If we cannot find adequate bus drivers with the employment situation as it is, we've got to do something."

In some cases, school principals are having to fill in as bus drivers. Board Chairman Charles Joines expressed reservations about such a policy.

"I hope we don't lose good personnel otherwise because of this," he said. "I wouldn't want somebody forced into this because they need a job, when they're not comfortable driving a bus."

However, Joines acknowledged, "There is a serious bus driver problem in this county....We've got to do something, and I do not have any better ideas."

Alleghany High School Principal Jeff Peal said in some cases, coaches and club sponsors are used as drivers for trips. As the discussion turned to behavior on buses, school principals present indicated that misbehavior on buses is not a major concern. "We have very few problems on buses," said Peal.

Gary West, principal at Glade Creek Elementary School, said pupils sometimes turn a little rowdy late in the school year. Communication with parents usually helps the situation, West said, letting them know that riding a bus is a privilege which can be forfeited. "Once you communicate that to the parents, they straighten up."

Davis said video cameras are not typically used on buses, but the school system has cameras which can be placed on buses if a problem necessitates their use. "Most students who misbehave don't realize what their misbehavior looks like. The camera helps that," he commented.

Get the rest of this article in this week's issue of the Alleghany News! Back