Bus driver shortage impacting Battle Ground schools' transportation

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A shortage of bus drivers is having an impact locally, according to an email sent by Battle Ground Public Schools to parents last week. 

District Spokesperson Rita Sanders said the issue came to a head in late March as their already sparse pool of drivers were impacted by flu season, and the letter said that on some days the number of sick drivers outnumbered available substitutes. This led to some students arriving home school later than usual. 

In the letter, district staff outlined two other causes aside from the flu they believe are resulting in the shortage.

The increasing school population particularly in the south part of the district has put a greater strain on available bus driver resources, and with a strong economy many drivers have left their posts for other job opportunities, the letter reads.

For solutions, the district is working with Cascade Transportation Solutions, the company contracted for bus services in the district, the letter read. The district and the transportation company will evaluate existing routes to see where reworking or combining routes make sense — Sanders noted that two routes for Pleasant Valley Primary have already been combined. 



Apart from route work, the district is also working to hire and train new drivers. In order to expedite the process, the district and Cascade will implement weekend training to speed up the normally four to five-week process.

The letter asked parents to help spread the word of the shortage. Directing qualified applicants to contact Cascade Student Transportation’s Operations Manager, Robert Kilian, at rkilian@ridecst.com.

“We know that reliable transportation is important to our families, and are making every effort we can to work through this challenging situation,” the letter read. 

The district has already began receiving calls, Sanders said.