DENMARK, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The wheels on the bus may go round and round, but not without a bus driver.
“We value our bus drivers. We can’t operate without them,” Denmark School District administrator Luke Goral said.
Bus driver shortages are forcing some area school districts to get creative.
“We’ve always struggled a little bit to fill all of our bussing positions, but this year it’s even harder,” Goral said.
The Denmark School District contracts with Lamers Bus Lines.
“We’re consolidating our routes which unfortunately will make the ride home for the average student about 10 to 15 minutes longer, and the buses will be at capacity,” Goral said.
Denmark is down three drivers for the afternoon routes and one driver for the morning routes.
“We’ve always found a way to sub or fill in and this year even with subs and things like that, we just cannot find a way to fill those routes, especially in the afternoon,” Goral said.
The district is asking students who are able to walk or bike to school to do so for the time being.
Lamers Bus Lines says the company is still in need of more drivers.
“We could probably use at least, in the city of Green Bay, easily we could find work for another 30, 40, 50 people,” Lamers Bus Lines school bus safety manager Larry Slaght said.
Lamers says it takes about a month to get a new driver out on the road if they do not have their CDL.
“We would provide them with study materials for their CDL, set them up for their physicals, set them up for a drug screening. They should be able to be licensed within 4-5 weeks,” Slaght said.
Slaght says no matter your schedule, Lamers will find work for you.
The Denmark School District says it will add consolidated bus routes back in as soon as its bus driver positions are filled.
