SECURITY-WIDEFIELD, Colo. (KOAA) — Students are making their return to school this week within Widefield School District 3.
Amid the chaos of getting back into the swing of things, lies a potential problem.
“If anyone calls out, we’re in trouble for the day,” says Widefield Transportation Officer, Jason Schwartz. He oversees school bus logistics for the district.
Currently, he says, they are operating at a shortage.
“Staff should be around 106 and right now we’re sitting at 98,” he says.
He adds that right now, in order to cover the gap, he has his own staff filling in as drivers.
Fewer drivers means more children to a bus, potentially raising safety concerns. Some kids are also forced to wait for kids to be dropped off at other schools, causing them to miss valuable time in the classroom.
Schwartz says the district is placing an emphasis on parents and retirees to apply.
The job is 5.5 hours, split-shift, ending by 4:30 p.m. The job requires a physical from the Department of Transportation. Training is done in-house, familiarizing candidates with the buses before a permit is secured.
District 3 is one of the only districts which still relies entirely on its fleet for athletic transportation, and football season is just days away.
“Sometimes behind the scenes we’re having to move mountains to get out there, but we do our best to make sure the kids get where they need,” says Schwartz.
If you are interested in applying for a bus driver position click here.
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