Despite Bus Driver Shortages, Cranston Schools Start Off Strong

CRANSTON, RI — Even as the district struggles with ongoing transportation issues, Cranston schools are off to a good start to the year. Superintendent Jeannine Nota-Masse said that both students and staff are happy to be back in class, full-time.

"Generally, our opening went very well," Nota-Masse said. "We're very happy to have students back in our schools with some consistency in their schedule."

The largest issue the district has faced so far this year has been with transportation. Currently, Cranston schools are short about nine bus drivers, meaning doubled-up routes and longer bus rides for some students.

Unlike many other districts in the state, Cranston does not use an outside transportation company like First Student for bus routes, instead hiring and training all bus drivers directly. This can make staffing a struggle even in a normal year, the superintendent explained.

"It's a challenge in a good year ... this year it's been impossible to fix [the issue] quickly," Nota-Masse said.

So far, parents and guardians have stepped up with pickups and drop-offs, Nota-Masse said, following the district's call to reduce reliance on busing.

Inside schools, things have been going relatively smoothly. So far, the district isn't experiencing staffing shortages, and both mask-wearing and vaccine uptake have been high.

"Everybody who's been coming to school has been compliant [with the mask mandate]," Nota-Masse said.

To date, 76 percent of teachers and staff are vaccinated, the superintendent said. At this time, the district has no plan to implement a vaccine mandate for employees.

The district asked parents to let them know if their child has gotten a COVID-19 vaccine, but since it's not required, it's difficult to get an exact picture of how many students are vaccinated.

While the coronavirus pandemic has been the main focus of life for the past two years, Nota-Masse said the district is also focused on its other major priorities, including the years-long construction projects approved in last November's school bond.

"COVID and its implications take up a lot of our time and energy," Nota-Masse said, adding that despite this, the district's main priority has always been making sure students get the best education possible in a supportive environment. "We can't forget that that's our main job."

Nota-Masse also expressed her deep gratitude for the Cranston community, thanking city officials, parents, teachers, students and everyone else who came together to make education possible throughout the pandemic.

"I really do want to express our gratefulness to the community for the support and understanding over the past few years," she said. "Hopefully we'll be better on the other side, and soon."