Malibu, Santa Monica Schools Search For More Bus Drivers, Staff

MALIBU, CA — The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District started the 2022-2023 school year four bus drivers short as districts across the country face staffing issues.

Districts across the country are struggling to hire non-teaching staff as the pandemic continues to affect in-person learning and people opt for private sector jobs with more job security or higher pay, according to EducationWeek.

The Santa Monica-Malibu School District is no exception — local schools entered the year with 17 of their desired 21 drivers. It's enough to still get kids to and from school without having to pack buses to capacity, but four additional drivers would help with field trips, according to Gail Pinsker, Community & Public Relations officer for the district.

The shortage and some route changes have also caused a 10-minute addition to some kids' school bus ride this year, Pinsker said.

"We are starting the year short four drivers. In a District of 15 schools and 9,000 students, this is a challenge," Pinsker said. "We have been actively recruiting all last year and recently picked up one driver: we had been down five."

The district has also come up short on cafeteria workers, custodians, paraeducators and some teachers, Pinsker said.

"We appreciate the important role our bus drivers play in the lives of our students. They start their school day and typically end with these bus drivers. They are an important influence in the lives of our students," Pinsker said. "We look forward to welcoming more to our team!"