Lack Of Drivers Causes Chronically Late Hillsborough School Buses

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — The Hillsborough School District is working to address several school buses that have been "chronically late" due to contractors facing a "major shortage" of drivers, Acting Superintendent Lisa M. Antunes said.

"The district has been working diligently and feverishly to ascertain the most seamless remedy to relieve the tardiness of identified bus routes to and from school each day," Antunes said in an update to parents Thursday.

To alleviate this issue, the Hillsborough Board of Education approved leasing three 54-passenger school buses at its Jan. 6 meeting. The buses will be run in-house as opposed to run by outside contractors. This allows the district to "hire their own part-tie drivers and have full control over an increased number of routes," Antunes said.

The leasing will cost the district no more than about $264,000, which is a cost savings, according to Antunes.

The leasing also allows the district to run several additional routes along with the Vo-Tech routes.

"Unfortunately, Hillsborough is experiencing what many other school districts are facing," Antunes said. "That is, contractors are experiencing a major shortage of drivers thereby rendering them incapable of meeting their contractual obligations or bidding on certain routes."

As a result, the Hillsborough school district is imposing fines on the contractor for not meeting their obligations and fulfilling their contact.

The district is continuing to work on the busing issue.

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