'Significant' Bus Driver Shortage Causes Bridgewater School Start, Dismissal Time Change

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — A significant shortage of bus drivers has caused the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District to change its start and dismissal times beginning Oct. 4.

The shortage, being felt statewide, is affecting the school district's ability to provide transportation to every student, said Superintendent of Schools Robert Beers in a letter to parents on Wednesday night.

To remedy this situation, the district will change school schedules in several of the school buildings, which will remain in place for the entire 2021-22 school year.

"This should not be seen as a permanent change to the current school schedule," said Beers.

Below is the new district schedule that will begin Oct. 4:

Building principals will send out more information on Monday. Updated busing information from the Transportation Department will be made available next week.

"Once more, I would like to thank the Bridgewater-Raritan school community for their continued patience and support as we develop solutions to the problem at hand," said Beers. "Lastly, please understand that we may experience delays during the initial implementation of this plan. This is not the fault of our drivers as they are doing everything within their power to get students back and forth from school safely."

Districts across New Jersey are experiencing the same issues as they scramble to hire drivers for school buses. Basking Ridge is actively hiring and Edison School District had to cut back on bus routes as a result. Read More: Driver Shortage Forces Edison Schools To Cut Back On Bus Routes

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here. Don't miss local and statewide announcements. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.