A nationwide shortage of school bus drivers is having an impact on Berks County’s largest school district.
The Reading School District on Tuesday announced that it has been forced to alter its transportation plan — changing bus routes and school schedules — because it does not have enough bus drivers.
“We want to acknowledge the frustration that many of you are experiencing with busing,” a message posted to the district’s website reads. “There is a national bus driver shortage that is impacting the Reading School District.”
The district currently contracts with Durham School Services LP for the busing of Reading High and Central Middle School students.
The district has a contract with the Berks County Intermediate Unit to handle busing for special education students, nonpublic school students, Reading-Muhlenberg Career & Technology students, students attending 13th and Union and Millmont elementary schools and students at Northeast Middle School.
Officials from the BCIU and Durham could not immediately be reached.
The district also has a partnership with BARTA that provides some students with free bus passes.
Before the school year started, the district acknowledged that transportation for students could be a problem, saying that is why it was contracting with multiple providers.
“(We) have been working to ensure for the next year that transportation is smooth for our students,” Dr. Yamil Sanchez-Rivera, district chief administrative officer, said during a school board meeting in June. “As a result of the pandemic, the contractors we have are having difficulty employing the needed drivers. So, we have to look at how to do transportation differently.”
The district’s message this week says that four transportation changes will be implemented starting on Sept. 27.
Earlier start time
Reading High School will push up its start time to 7:30 a.m. Students will be dismissed at 2:10 p.m.
Students who attend morning sessions at the Reading-Muhlenberg Career & Technology Center will depart from Reading High at 7:05 a.m.
Starting and ending the school day earlier at Reading High will allow more time for buses to complete their routes for younger students.
Tech center changes
Students attending the career and technology center will no longer be picked up at middle schools in the morning and afternoon.
Instead, all career and technology buses will pick up and drop off students at Reading High. Morning buses will depart at 7:05 a.m., and afternoon buses will leave at 11:35 a.m.
Career and technology students who qualify for transportation to Reading High will receive updated bus information this week.
Central Middle School
The district will no longer provide courtesy busing to and from the northwest and eastern parts of Reading for students who live within the 1.5-mile walking zone from Central Middle School.
The district will make available a limited number of waivers for students who would prefer to attend Southern Middle School or Northwest Middle School because of the transportation change.
Those interested in a waiver can call call Southern Middle School at 610-371-5803 or Northwest Middle School at 610-371-5882.
Free BARTA bus passes are also available and can be received by filling out an online form on the district website.
Changing routes, bus numbers
The district will be combining bus routes, changing bus numbers and rescheduling all routes.
Students who use district transportation will be getting updated information this week. Information can also be found online at readingsd.org/transportation.
Release your seat
Along with the announced changes, the district is also looking for help from parents to address the bus driver shortage.
The district is asking families who are able to get their child to and from school to “release your school bus seat.” Families can opt out of district transportation by filling out a form on the district website.
Looking for drivers
Both the BCIU and Durham are actively recruiting bus drivers.
The starting wages from the BCIU are $21.55 to $26.75 per hour with a $1,500 sign-on bonus. Those interested can call 610-987-2248.
The starting wage from Durham is $23 per hour with a $2,000 to $3,000 sign-on bonus.
Durham will also train licensed drivers to earn the commercial driver’s license, with those employees earning $12 per hour during training.
To contact Durham call 484-772-0076.
Source: Berkshire mont
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