COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A bus driver shortage in one central Ohio school district is impacting whether students are learning in person or virtually.
Reynoldsburg City School families were informed Wednesday that a remote learning rotation for elementary students will be in effect until further notice. In addition, several high schools and middle schools are participating in remote learning on Friday due to the driver shortage.
“There just has to be a community solution because the district isn’t going to be able to solve it on their own either because it is what it is,” said elementary school mom Lindsay Rice. “There’s not enough bus drivers.”
The district’s letter said elementary schools will have a remote learning day once a week. The remote learning schedule is as follows:
- Monday: Slate Ridge Elementary
- Tuesday: Herbert Mills Elementary
- Wednesday: Taylor Road Elementary and Rose Hill Elementary
- Thursday: French Run Elementary
- Friday: Summit Road Elementary
The following high schools and middle schools are participating in remote learning on Friday:
- Both campuses of Reynoldsburg High School
- Waggoner Road Junior High
- Hannah Ashton Middle School
- STEM Middle at Baldwin Road
- Waggoner Road Middle School
A Reynoldsburg City Schools spokesperson said there are at least 13 bus routes that don’t have a driver each day because of the shortage. Rice worries how this will impact learning.
“As much as it would be a pain to give up my son’s bus — that is something that I’m willing to figure out if it meant that kids got to go to school,” said Rice.
The district said its goal is to keep as many students in school as possible and moving one day to remote learning can free up as many as 12 routes.
“I would like to think that with so many people that have a hand in this — that there’s gotta be some kind of out of the box solution,” said high school parent Roy Schutte. “I believe that it would be easier if the high schoolers were the ones that were on their own and the emphasis was put on the elementary and probably the middle school aged kids.”
Rice said childcare is something she’s also worried about, and that she’s lucky she can afford it.
“It’s probably going to cost at least an extra 70 dollars a week minimum, and I think it’s important reflecting on that. I’m privileged in the fact that I can do that, but a lot of parents aren’t,” she said.
On Thursday, 522 students at French Run Elementary learned remotely, allowing more than 7,000 students to attend school in person.
Buses to the career center will leave from the Livingston campus only at 7:10 a.m. and the shuttle from Summit will not be operating.
