FRAMINGHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - Districts are trying to deal with student transportation despite not having a full roster of bus drivers as classes are about to resume.
Framingham is short 10 drivers and 125 students will not be able to ride the bus with classes starting this week, officials said. Many school bus drivers across the country retired during the pandemic, and others have not come back because of concerns over transporting unvaccinated students.
John McCarthy, the CEO of NRT Bus Inc., said 16 new drivers are training but won’t be ready until the end of September. In the meantime, his company is trying use buses for multiple routes.
“We’re working with school districts to do looping. You know, drop some kids off early,” McCarthy said. “Superintendents have been very acceptive of that idea. Go back and get some more kids.”
But Ted Geller, whose daughter Hannah will now have to walk two miles to school, said the district should have come up with a better plan.
“The school district knew, certainly from last year and the year before, that there was going be a situation here,” Geller said.
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