Bus Shortage Has 11th Graders Using Party Bus With Stripper Poles

BOSTON — Some Boston students ended up taking a party bus fully equipped with a stripper pole and neon lights to a field trip last week due to the ongoing nationwide school bus driver shortage.

The coronavirus pandemic created shortages across the board for many different industries and school systems, but one of the more complicated employment shortages came during the start of the 2021-22 school year, where bus drivers were extremely hard to find across the nation.

Jim Mayers, an 11th grade AP Language & Composition teacher at the Brooke Charter School in Boston, tweeted about the unforgettable ride last week.

After the original bus to shuttle the kids fell through, Mayers explained, the school wanted the field trip to continue anyway — thus using the vacant party bus.

Though the bus ride was a memorable one, Mayers added that the kids "didn't really care about the bus," but that the entire day was a "phenomenal experience" thanks to "a lot of great people."

Mayers wanted to fully explain the reasoning behind the interesting choice in transportation.

"It is a funny story, but there actually is a real bus shortage and it speaks to major flaws in our education system," Mayers said. "This in no way is a reflection of anyone involved in planning the trip - we were trying to have a fun day with the kids and that’s exactly what happened."

"When you promise hundreds of kids a fun day with their advisories, you make it happen," Mayers explained.

Mayers added that people should call their local elected officials to demand structural investments in the educational system. He gave a shoutout to anyone working hard to deliver for students against barriers, many of which we know existed long before the pandemic.

Mayers advocated for "paying all bus drivers, facilities, and operations staff a competitive salary & comprehensive benefits. Whatever you think is enough, double it," he added in the Twitter thread.

On Sept. 13, Gov. Charlie Baker called up 250 members of the National Guard to help with the school bus driver shortage in the state.

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