HOLLAND, Ohio — The Springfield Local Schools district is facing a staffing problem with its bus drivers.
"We are looking for any amount of drivers at this time," said Scott Brooker, the district's director of transportation.
So far during the 2024-25 school year, Springfield is doing a lot with a little, and school officials are making a call for help.
"We're currently about three drivers short and that impacts the ridership," Brooker said. "Our buses are getting very full with students because we don't have enough drivers to spread them out."
SLS Superintendent Matt Geha said he wants the district to have at least six more drivers, though. Three to be fully staffed and an additional three in case of absences.
The district currently has 18 drivers and no substitutes, forcing Brooker, his secretary and the school's mechanic into the driver's seat.
"Myself, my secretary are both on buses since day one, morning and afternoon, and that impacts our ability to be in the office to answer phone calls and answer emails," Brooker said.
Geha says the district is attempting to recruit drivers daily, but that takes time.
The Ohio Department of Education requires 15 hours of classroom instruction for new drivers as well as a commercial driver's license, which can take anywhere from three weeks to six months to get, according to Indeed.com.
"Looking forward, we're going to have to possibly look at various avenues and get creative on how we're going to deal with the driver shortage," Brooker said.
Geha added that three drivers will soon be eligible to retire if they choose to do so.
The shortage continues to leave the district and parents in a tough position.
Ashley Janczewski, a mother of two Springfield students, has experienced the frustration of having an understaffed driving fleet firsthand.
"It's actually a little frustrating for me because I get my daughter off the bus, so sometimes they'll say 'oh, so-and-so bus will be 30 minutes late or 30 minutes early depending on, and I have to be to work at 6:30," said Janczewski. "I leave at 5, so it's frustrating."
Brooker is urging people to apply to become school bus drivers so the district can leave this problem in the rearview mirror.
"We're a very great department, have great staff, but to just be fully staffed would help the parents, help the students and it would help the buildings and the community," he said.
For information on how to become a school bus driver, click here.