Durham Reporter

A shortage of school bus drivers put Durham Public Schools on the ropes one day earlier this month, but other drivers stepped up to handle the crisis and all children were picked up.

"We are extremely grateful to our professional drivers for their acts of generosity and teamwork,” Superintendent Pascal Mubenga said in an ABC 11 report. “We understand that rescheduling a day in one's life is a sacrifice. We also acknowledge the hard work undertaken by our Transportation Department to make the appeal and deploy substitute drivers to make this morning's routes happen.” 

The night of Dec. 15 saw Durham school officials scrambling as they sent out the alert that some children might not be picked up. But the school system’s transportation leaders worked late into the night to get all routes covered. Had other drivers not adapted, rides for about 2,000 students would have been in limbo.

The transportation staff also work through the day Dec. 16 to avoid disruptions in this afternoon's bus service. 

The problems are due to a driver shortage, according to the district. 

"My kids normally were car riders but the strain on gas was too much. So we made them bus riders,” Shanice Toomer, one of the parents affected by the crisis, told ABC 11. “Now it's a hassle." 

Other parents, such as Susan Garner, said they were worried about the ripple effect cancellations would have for families. 

"It would be terrible because expenses are going to be incurred, possibly losing a day at work, having to find a sitter,” she told ABC 11. “That would just cause a domino effect. And it wouldn't work out very well at all. It's ridiculous."

District spokesman William "Chip" Sudderth said the district needs about 65 to 70 more drivers.

"First of all, the most important thing is we're sorry," he said, as reported by ABC 11. "We are dealing with the same challenges and hiring and retaining bus drivers that other school districts and municipal bus systems like GoTriangle are experiencing. If more people are out sick or family emergency happens, or people are out for other reasons, there's not a lot of giving, and that is the challenge we're having right now." 

The Durham district is recruiting more bus drivers, hoping a signing bonus will pay off. 

“If there is a driver out there who has never worked for us before, who has their commercial driver's license in hand, and if they work for us, they're eligible for a $3,000 signing bonus,” Sudderth said, as reported by ABC 11. “We need them. And our kids need them."