Vermilion Parish looking for school bus drivers amid shortage
“We're struggling, like every other district is struggling with, just trying to find resources and personnel,” Small said. “Since COVID, it's just been tough finding people who are willing to take it as a career.”
VERMILION PARISH, La. (KLFY)-- If you are driving in Abbeville and notice a huge sign on a Vermilion Parish School bus saying they are hiring bus drivers that is because the Vermilion Parish School Supervisor of Transportation Ken Small shared with News 10 that there is a shortage of bus drivers.
“We're struggling, like every other district is struggling with, just trying to find resources and personnel,” Small said. “Since COVID, it's just been tough finding people who are willing to take it as a career.”
Small said since the beginning of February they have started putting out banners to advertise to the public about a bus driver shortage.
“Mostly right now we have a population of drivers that are getting older. So we're looking to try to replace those drivers. We need a sub-driver. When our drivers are sick then we have to replace those drivers and it’s tough when you just don't have the resources there,” Small said.
Small said there are around 80 current drivers and there is a need for 10 to 15 more drivers to be ready for next school year. He expressed the importance of having bus drivers.
“These are the first people that our students see in the morning," Small said. "So our driver set the tone for our day. The children if they just see a smiling face on their bus route, a lot of times that will make the difference in your day. They play a very critical role in the success of our parish. We all play our part from maintenance all the way to transportation, to our teachers. So we play our part and we take it seriously and we love what we do.”
“We are doing the best we can to try and fill in those holes and doing everything we can to try to get the kids home," he added. "Sometimes we've had to make some quick decisions, but we do the best we can to try and get those kids home safely.”
If you would like to apply you can find information here.