Portland Public Schools: PPS School Bus Driver Shortage Update: Several Bus Routes To Be Canceled; PPS Continues To Work On Solutions

Press release from Portland Public Schools:

September 17, 2021

Dear PPS Families and Students,

Thank you, again, for your patience as we work through the bus driver shortage. Please know our team is exploring every option, big and small, to provide the best possible service to our students and families during this challenging time.

While the current shortage is not likely to be resolved soon, we are working on a number of solutions, including discussions at the state level for additional supports, maximizing use of smaller vehicles and carpooling services, contracting with external service providers, and other more innovative solutions we hope to announce soon.

As we explore every option, bus routes will continue to be temporarily delayed or canceled, with about 10-15 bus routes, on average, not running each day. As we navigate this unfortunate circumstance, rest assured that we are focused on prioritizing daily transportation services for students with disabilities and elementary school students

To minimize the daily unpredictability of canceled routes and allow families to begin planning for alternate transportation options, we are making the difficult decision to cancel the following routes for the foreseeable future:

Additionally, for the routes below student pickup or drop-off times, have been modified:

Updated route information will be available on our transportation website by 5:00 p.m. Friday.

 We recognize this might become an additional burden on the students, families and communities at these school communities. We will share more information next week on the types of resources and support we plan to make available for impacted families.

 What else is PPS doing to address the impacts of this bus driver shortage?

We are working on a number of solutions, including:

• Reducing our number of big bus routes from 140 to 101;
• Maximizing use of smaller vehicles through contracted external providers
• Discussions with business and state-level officials to provide human resources
• Providing families impacted by canceled routes with financial support
• Use of family friendly technology to coordinate family car pooling efforts

 Lastly, we continue to hire new bus drivers! If you or someone you know is interested in becoming part of our team, please apply immediately.

 Starting Wages: $22.00 - $27.95/hour | Starting Bonuses: $2,500 - $6,500

Apply Now: WorkatFirst.com

Questions? Contact Paige at paige.mulcahy@firstgroup.com

 Thank you again for your patience and understanding. We will share more next week.

Dan Jung Chief Operating Officer

Teri BradyDirector of Transportation

This press release was produced by Portland Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.