'Extremely Large' Bus Driver Absence Causes D308 Transport Delays

OSWEGO, IL — A sum of bus drivers for Community Unit School District 308 called out Thursday morning with COVID-19 infections or exposures, according to district officials, causing some delays in transportation for students.

In an update warning families of delays in busing, district officials described the shortage as "extremely large." Of more than 130 bus drivers transporting District 308 students to and from school on a daily basis, about 25 of them were out Thursday, Theresa Komitas, director of communications and public relations, told Patch.

"Thankfully we were able to rearrange drivers this morning and got most of our routes covered so only a couple were 15 minutes later than normal," she wrote in an email, adding the district, like many others, have been facing bus driver shortages throughout the school year.

Although district administration doesn't have an estimate of what tomorrow's situation will be like, Komitas said it may "be roughly the same."

"Transportation is doing their best to communicate late buses, but we appreciate your understanding as we try to operate the routes with so many employees out," reads a Facebook post from District 308 officials.

At Oswego schools across the district, 124 positive cases have been reported among students and 55 among staff between Jan. 3 and Jan. 9, according to the district's most recent available data.

The highest numbers of COVID-19 cases last were reported at elementary schools, with 61 students and 55 staff testing positive. Comparatively, fewest students and staff — 8 and 9, respectively — tested positive at junior high schools, data shows.