CARMEL, Ind. — For the past few years, most school districts have struggled to find enough bus drivers. This year, it's worse than ever, prompting Carmel Clay Schools to make some major changes in how many kids get to and from school.
Gary Clevenger, the district's assistant director of transportation, said they're down nearly 50 drivers, which is more than ever before. And that's despite raising starting pay to $118 a day with experienced drivers making $123 a day.
It also comes following the district's best hiring season in years.
"Combined with retirement and resignations and the folks that left because of COVID, we managed to gain little ground," Clevenger said. "So, we had to start looking at other solutions that may not be as popular or not what we want to do."
One measure includes creating "no bus zones." Students who live less than a mile from school will have to walk, ride their bike or carpool, unless it means crossing busy streets or dangerous intersections. Those students will still be eligible to take the bus, even if they live a short distance from school.
"The no bus zone was really meant to help reduce ridership," Clevenger said. " With the ridership numbers, there was no way with the limited number of drivers we could transport that number of students in the time we allowed to get them to school."
Even so, drivers will still have to take on additional routes, which means new bell times. Elementary students will start classes 10 minutes earlier and middle school students 20 minutes earlier.
High school students will start their day 20 minutes later, though Clevenger stressed the changes "will not cut any instructional time for students."
Also, elementary school buildings will open earlier, at 7:15 a.m. for parents needing to drop off their kids before work and, to ease traffic congestion closer to bell time by creating a "rolling drop-off."
The district is also working with Carmel police on new crosswalk zones and safety measures for students who will be walking or riding their bikes to school.
As for how long the measures will remain in place, Clevenger said things will not change any time soon, given the severe shortage of bus drivers in Carmel and across the country.
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