Expect bus driver shortage to get worse, Buffalo schools' transportation chief says

Cheryl Kennedy, director of transportation for the school district, warned School Board members and parents attending a Board of Education meeting where the transportation issue dominated conversation Wednesday that the district may lose some drivers as the weather gets colder and, as a result, bus runs will be longer and slower.  

"As it gets colder, we lose drivers. It's historical. We know that," said Kennedy.

"Our bus routes are going to be longer and much slower. So right now we're clearing between 7:15 and 7:30 every evening. I anticipate that to get later," she added.

Parents who spoke at the meeting had shared complaints with the board beforehand about students not being picked up for school, or being picked up very late to be transported home. They also complained about a shortage of teacher aides available to ride the buses with students.

Nathaniel J. Kuzma, general counsel for the district, appeared to agree with an assessment that had been made early by the parents.

"We are in a transportation crisis, although it's not a local one. It's a national one. It's one that we anticipated," Kuzma said, before introducing a presentation by the district's transportation team that included officials from First Student Bus Company, which provides school bus transportation services for the district.

Barry Fitzgerald, senior vice president for First Student, said the company is pursuing a variety of recruiting efforts to increase the number of school bus drivers employed in its fold. Fitzgerald said the company lost about 150 drivers during the pandemic, but is conducting an exhaustive search to replenish its numbers.

"We have gone out to, literally, every past employee ... every person that applied in the past and didn't complete the process," Fitzgerald said.

He said the company has increased the number of job fairs it conducts and improved its enticements to lure new drivers, including pay raises.

However, Dawn Tighe, area safety manager for First Student, said there are several obstacles to recruitment, owing to the long and complicated training and hiring process.

Since September, Tighe said, the company received 679 applications. Of those, 550 applicants were invited for an interview, and out of that number, only 335 people showed, she said. Of that number, 332 were presented with a contingent offer of employment, Tighe added.

Many of those who were offered a job on a contingency basis still have to obtain a commercial learner's permit, if they don't have one. The district offers a class for that, but only 30% wind up showing up for the training once they're made aware of all the requirements that include passing a background check, a drug test, passing four written tests – one of which is 100 questions long – and a driver's test.

Fitzgerald noted that progress has been made in reducing some of the stringent requirements by the state Department of Motor Vehicles that have been an obstacle to attracting recruits.

Meanwhile, Kennedy said her staff has worked tirelessly to reduce school bus routes. She said 129 out of 645 of the district's bus routes have been eliminated through rerouting and doubling the number of students served on some routes. 

"My staff is working at least 12 to 14 hours a day, nonstop," Kennedy said.

"The people that transport our kids love their job. They are devoted to it," she said.

"Some of our drivers will do four, five or six school runs every evening to get our kids home, and they're champing at the bit to help," Kennedy added.

Board members questioned whether some other methods could be pursued. Ferry District Member Sharon Belton-Cottman said forcing children to wait beyond 7:30 p.m. to be transported home is unacceptable. She and other board members spoke of the danger that posed to students' physical safety.

"It's too dangerous," said Central District Member Paulette Woods.