Abbeville, La - Schools nationwide are facing a bus driver shortage forcing districts like Vermilion Parish to rethink their transportation plans.
The lack of drivers has prompted the district to hire a full time trainer to teach new drivers.
“It’s heartbreaking to see on Facebook or hear that the bus couldn’t run this afternoon or this morning. Those parents are probably at work or at a bind and can’t get no one to pick them up so I was like let me jump in this class and here I am,” said Vicki Bessarnd who is taking the bus driver course.
Substitute teacher and bus monitor Vicki Bessarnd understands the importance of fostering a child’s education. When she heard about the driver shortage, she signed up for the class.
“No drivers means no transportation for the kids and it’s a possibility that the kids wouldn’t be able to attend school and of course you know attending school is very important,” she said.
Vermilion Parish Supervisor of Transportation Ken Small cited issues recruiting new bus drivers and drivers retiring as the reason for the shortage.
“Since the pandemic, it’s been rough just trying to find employees that are willing to work. These banners you’ve seen around town we’ve really put a lot of emphasis on trying to get the word out there. We hired a full time trainer now which we did not have before because the problem is that serious. So we went the extra step and hired so we are trying,” he told KATC.
According to a survey from Hop Skip Drive, 92% of school leaders reported that bus driver shortages constrained their operations.
Supervisor Small is looking to recruit 15 to 20 new drivers ahead of the 2024-2025 school year that’s why he set up this course. “The training is normally four days long and we try to give the option of weekends, like two weekends and then we give an option of where you can go four days throughout the week and do it all at one time,” Small said.
As for Bessarnd, she says the benefits were a driving force as to why she applied for the position.“For me, being a single mom, both of my girls don’t drive yet, I would be able to drop them off to work, be off on the weekends, off on the summer, anytime school is closed I’ll be off and that’s a big benefit for me,” she said.
If you’re interested in applying you can contact Vermilion Parish Supervisor of Transportation Ken Small at (337) 898-5709
