Columbus schools set to open this week, but with busing concerns

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus City Schools assured families its transportation team is ready for the new year, but some parents have concerns.

Franklin County’s largest school district is Columbus City Schools. According to its last Board of Education meeting, its bus charter system is larger than COTA, the Central Ohio Transit Authority.

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“Our transportation team is ready for the opening of schools,” Interim Executive Director of Communications Jacqueline Bryant said. “98% of our transportation-eligible students are already routed for the 2024-2025 school year.”

Students may be routed, but many have voiced displeasure and confusion with the routes. One parent told NBC4 his son was assigned a bus stop 1.7 miles from their home, despite a much closer stop existing for the exact same route. To get there, the student would have to walk roughly half an hour along two roads without sidewalks and cross a major road.

When the parent called Columbus City Schools to request a transfer to a closer stop on the same route, he was told they would not make any changes until October.

“This is an ongoing, multi-year situation that has shown zero progress,” the parent said.

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Bryant did not address questions about this situation when NBC4 asked and said parents should check their Parent Portals for transportation information if they attend CCS schools and their individual schools for charter students. She said those with concerns are invited to call their transportation center at 614-365-5074, which will have extra coverage to assist as needed in the first weeks of school.

Bryant also said parents should be aware that the transition period the first weeks of school may cause delays for a variety of reasons, and asks for their patience.

Senior Transportation Consultant for the Ohio School Boards Association Doug Palmer said the bus driver shortage is not exclusive to Ohio, but it is certainly still being felt here.

“When people hear ‘bus driver shortage,’ it might sound straightforward, but the issue is complex,” Palmer said. “The shortage isn’t just about finding enough drivers.”

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Palmer said drivers must also be qualified, committed and trained, adding the training typically takes four or five weeks to complete. In Ohio, school bus drivers must obtain a state school bus driver’s certificate and their commercial drivers license, or CDL. This includes a minimum of 12 hours of on-the-bus instruction and 15 hours of classroom instruction, plus the CDL exam.

Within these courses, bus drivers learn about first aid, student management and various safety procedures on top of simply learning how to safely operate the larger vehicle. Once approved, they have to then renew their certificates every six years by completing a nine-hour classroom course and passing an evaluation of their driving skills. Bus drivers also have to participate in at least four hours of in-service training each year.

Bryant said the district has 465 bus drivers for 342 bus routes. She said there are also 25 supervisors who can cover routes when needed, and 37 trainees.

According to a CCS job posting, trainees are paid $18.50 an hour as they learn to operate the bus. If all goes well they may become a bus driver, which starts at $23.04 hourly. Bryant said eight of the 37 trainees will be prepared by the time schools open, with the remaining 29 able to begin by early September, pending their CDL results.

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Still, the parent whose student will be routed over a mile away said without help from the school, he will likely have to drive his student to the bus stop each morning. Many suggested he and other affected families should just use the stop close to their home, but the parent said he did not want to get bus drivers in trouble if they could be liable.

“We’ve been told through readings and whatnot that the bus driver shortage is not an issue any more,” the parent said. “The proof is in the pudding, right? I guess we’ll find out.”

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