National Bus Driver Shortage Impacting L-W Schools

NEW LENOX, IL — A national shortage of drivers is putting school districts in a tight spot, as many districts are forced to alter or eliminate school bus routes, including at Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210.

All three of the district's schools — Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way West in New Lenox, and Lincoln-Way East in Frankfort — will see alternating "no bus service" days until Labor Day, according to D210 Superintendent Scott Tingley.

Tingley outlined the temporary bus schedule in an email to parents. On Monday, Lincoln-Way Central will be without service, Lincoln-Way East on Tuesday and West on Wednesday.

Transportation for Thursday and Friday will be determined and communicated at the beginning of next week, Tingley wrote to parents.

Each building principal will send details specific to students' school’s drop-off and pickup procedures for their assigned “no bus service” days.

While the alternating "no bus service" days are in effect, the district is allowing students who cannot find alternate means of transportation to be marked as an "excused absence," Tingley said. Students can get information on their classes and homework assignments online.

"This is a national problem, obviously, but we've been hit considerably hard here in the last two-and-a-half weeks," Tingley said. "Since the beginning of August we've lost almost 10 percent of our remaining (bus driver) staff."

The district is working on long-term solutions to the bus driver shortage, Tingley said, including advertising across multiple platforms for the open bus driver positions and engaging in talks with larger bus service companies. Anyone interested in applying for the open positions can do so by following this link to D210's website.

"We just have to stay patient," Tingley said. "It's an inconvenience. It's not a disaster; it's an inconvenience. And we'll continue to work through it."