Members of the Hillsdale Community Schools Board of Education said they are concerned about the impacts of new federal regulations on school bus drivers.
Due to new federal licensing requirements, according to Superintendent Shawn Vondra, the school district– which already has a staffing shortage– may have issues hiring enough bus drivers.
The board should expect “some canceled bus rides,” Vondra said.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s website, the agency will implement new training requirements for Commercial Drivers License applicants on Feb. 7, 2022. One must have a CDL to become a school bus driver.
“To get people CDL licenses to become bus drivers is going to become much more complicated,” Vondra said.
Hillsdale Community Schools Director of Transportation Chuck Sigler has trained more than 100 bus drivers during his tenure at the district, according to Vondra.
Sigler said the new federal training requirements have multiple components.
“It’s kind of like when you get your driver’s license, except with a bus,” according to Sigler. “So behind the wheel training, theory, and some coursework.”
The new regulations also expect school bus drivers to be certified trainers with the state of Michigan, Sigler said. To meet regulations, drivers will have to participate in training on a closed course.
These requirements will make it “harder to get the training done and get the new bus drivers certified,” Vondra said.
According to Rebecca Portteus, a trustee with the Hillsdale Community Schools Board of Education, the district is “already struggling to have enough staff.”
This is due to the nature of the job, Vondra said.
“You’re working at 6 a.m., then you’ve got some time off, but then you have to come back to work and you won’t be finished until 4:30 or 5 p.m.,” according to Vondra. “That split shift doesn’t work for a lot of people.”
This lack of bus drivers will hinder the district in providing education to the community, Portteus said.
“Our community has a large part of our population that relies on buses,” Portteus said. “This new federal regulation adds yet another hurdle to being effective educators within our community.”
Portteus said she hopes the government will either make it easier to meet these requirements, or eliminate them altogether.
“Hopefully either our governing bodies will provide better opportunities to have trained drivers under this new regulation, or repeal this regulation, as it is a burden on schools and other entities,” Portteus said.
According to Vondra, the district will put the needs of its students first while navigating this issue.
“We will prioritize getting kids to and from school,” he said.