SPRINGDALE, Ark. — The Springdale School District looks to fix a transportation issue for the upcoming school year.
According to Trent Jones, the director of communications for the school district, the 2021-22 school year saw some routes canceled while school was in session. Jones explained that Springdale was feeling the impact with schools across the nation of a bus driver shortage.
Canceling routes would force parents to find other ways to get their children to school. Jones says the district understands how impactful this could be to not only the family but businesses as well.
“We value our parents and guardians, and we respect their time which is why we're working on these routes to make sure that our buses are there consistently," said Jones. "We do not want to repeat what happened last year. We are aware of the impact that made, it hurt us as well, and we don't want to do that.”
To fix the issue, Jones explains that the district will be creating more efficient routes to ensure transportation for students.
"We're just moving to what's called fixed routes. We'll have a place where the kids come for us to pick them up and it should help with efficiency, it should help with consistency," said Jones. "We're doing our best to make sure that we're taking care of our moms and dads and our parents and guardians, so we're providing reliable professional services for their kids to make the school every day."
For students and parents looking for their new route, Jones says to visit their interactive map. The school district also provides a tutorial on how to use their map.
The school district is encouraging more applicants for their transportation department. Jones says it's the best time for anyone to apply. The director of communications encourages those interested to visit their website for more information. Jones says some could even explore the option of driving a bus route in the morning, substitute teaching during the day, then finishing with a route in the afternoon.
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