BOSTON (WHDH) - Boston school officials say they do not have enough bus drivers for the start of the new year and a lack of vaccinations is playing into the shortage.
They say they are between 40 and 60 drivers short of what they need to complete each scheduled route in September. Administrators are telling parents to expect significant delays when school resumes.
“We will continue communicating to our parents over the next several days and weeks as we try to fill those positions,” said Superintendent Brenda Cassellius. “We will engage in some re-routing and we are asking parents if they will decline to ride the yellow bus. That will allow us to consolidate some routes.”
This comes as districts across the nation battle their own bus driver shortages.
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City leaders say part of the reason for the shortage here is that some drivers are not vaccinated.
Mayor Janey said they are working to solve the issue.
“Through my conversations with many bus drivers, there has been an interest in getting more bus drivers vaccinated,” she said. “This is why we are standing up vaccine clinics in the bus yard as they have requested. So, we will continue to work with them to get their team vaccinated as all city workers.”
Cassellius said the district is also facing a shortage of food prep workers and is asking anyone looking for employment to apply.
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