Eden solves its sudden shortage of school bus drivers

For the last few months, they’ve been right to worry. It’s been a long road, but this week Eden is back up to full busing capacity.

Eden Central School normally operates three buses within the 64-square-mile town, and for the 144 students who attend the elementary school, as well as those in Lamoille Union Middle and High Schools, the bus may be their only option for transportation as parents work out of town.

But when medical issues forced two bus drivers out of the driver’s seats just before Christmas break, Eden — with only one available substitute driver who fills in when he can — was left with few options.

The Eden School District owns its own buses, and supplies its own drivers rather than contracting with a company like Lamoille Valley Transportation or Percy Transportation, which means they can’t borrow drivers from neighboring towns.

An advertisement for the position was immediately listed in the News & Citizen, and a notice went out to parents.

On Friday, Jan. 27, the school would have only one bus driver, and parents had to make other transportation arrangements that day, unless it was absolutely necessary for kids to ride the bus.

With no replies to the ad, the school was in the same situation a few weeks later.

“Attention to all Eden Central families who ride Eden buses to and from school,” Principal Melinda Mascolino wrote to parents. “On Feb. 13, 15, 17, 21 and 22, we will only have two bus drivers. Some runs may be between 20 to 30 minutes behind. It is very hard to pinpoint exactly because two buses are splitting up the third route. Please keep watch.

“On the 23rd, we only have one bus. Therefore, it is essential that parents make different transportation arrangements in the morning and afternoon. If it is absolutely necessary to ride the bus, please call the school and we will make a list.”

Eventually, Eden Central School’s head cook, Joan Aither, was able to persuade her husband, Eric, to become a bus driver, but he couldn’t take the job until his training was completed.

In Vermont, school bus drivers are required to obtain a commercial driver’s license with a passenger and school bus endorsement; pass a physical exam, a vision exam and written and skills tests; attend a school bus driver training clinic; and pass a criminal background check and three-year vehicle records search.

“We’ve had problems finding qualified drivers,” said Jeff Hunsberger, Eden School Board chair. “But our third driver just passed his exam, and we should be back up to full capacity.”

“It’s difficult to find anyone who wants to drive a school bus,” Mascolino said. “I know it’s a hardship to deal with job and family circumstances, but I’m appreciative of the cooperation.”

While many parents understood the difficulty the school was having in finding bus drivers, others took to Facebook in frustration.

“I, as a taxpayer, find this to be very disturbing,” wrote Michaela Moodie Kilburn. “This has been an ongoing issue and needs to be addressed. You have a responsibility as a school to get these kids to and from. It is not the parents’ job to fix your mistakes. If you can’t handle transportation of kids to school, how do you handle their education?”

Ashley Kitonis suggested that taxpayers attend town meeting or take concerns to the school board and demand busing be bid out to a private company.

“I’m sure if you add up the lost wages from having to drive their kids, the (what seems like) constant repairs the buses need, the lack of drivers and the headaches it causes the school, it would be more than worth it,” she said.

Others simply suggested Eden Central School supply a bus schedule, so parents and day care providers know when buses will arrive, and thanked the school for doing its best.

According to Cat Gallagher, school superintendent, transportation costs are centralized, but the supervisory union wants to be respectful of Eden and Cambridge owning their own buses, and figure out what works best for them, so no changes are imminent.

Because Eden joined the Lamoille North Modified Unified Union, the merged district now owns Eden’s buses, and it hasn’t been decided yet whether those buses will be used next year.

“For our small school, I think it’s more reliable to take on the expense and maintenance of our own buses,” Mascolino said.