WEST CARROLLTON — Multiple school districts in Montgomery County and surrounding areas are facing ongoing school bus driver shortages, leading administrators to turn to social media platforms like Facebook to recruit new drivers.
According to the Ohio Department of Education, approximately 14% of all school bus driver openings in the state remained unfilled last year. Local districts are attempting to mitigate the deficit by expanding recruitment methods and adjusting transportation operations.
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West Carrollton City Schools needs approximately five more drivers for its 72-passenger buses. Jack Haag of West Carrollton City Schools explained that rising wages in the private sector have made hiring difficult for public schools.
“I think part of it is it’s hard for school districts to keep up with private wages right now because wages are going up and we’re competing with other industries,” Haag said.
To help fill open positions, West Carrollton is using Facebook to recruit local parents to drive buses while their children are in school. Haag said social media provides an effective channel to reach families directly.
“That’s a great way to reach out to our parents. And that’s what we look for a lot of times, is try to get our parents, hey, you can work here while your kids are in school,” Haag said.
Beavercreek City Schools is also posting on social media to recruit drivers, needing about 15 more drivers to reach full staffing levels.
Brian Smigel of Beavercreek City Schools stated that the district is exploring all options to manage unfilled routes. “Every day we are several routes short, and we’re reaching out at all avenues to find bus drivers,” Smigel said.
To ensure students get to and from school, Beavercreek has used district administrators as drivers, doubled up routes and run some routes late. Smigel acknowledged the delay can cause frustration for families.
“It just creates anxiety and angst for everybody. The nice thing is, is that we are getting everybody home. Sometimes it’s just a little bit later,” Smigel said. “We just asked parents to, you know, be patient with us.”
Other area school districts are taking structural steps to adjust to the workforce shortage. Centerville and Urbana school districts reported that they are purchasing larger buses, allowing them to transport more students with fewer total drivers.
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