For many families in Little Miami Schools, the school run has turned into a daily guessing game. Roughly 20 bus routes have been canceled in the past month, parents say, with notices dropping the night before or even the morning of pickup. That last-minute scramble has parents rearranging carpools, burning vacation days, or simply missing work. The district reports six open transportation-related positions as it works to steady service for the roughly 5,700 students who qualify for bus transportation, and patience in the community is wearing thin.
Numbers and notices
Little Miami Schools confirmed 20 route cancellations in the past month and said it has six open transportation positions, according to WCPO. The station reported that around 5,700 students are eligible for transportation districtwide and that parents often learn their child’s route is off only the night before or the morning of a scheduled run. Some families told the outlet their buses are canceled as frequently as every other week, while others said they have had to stay home from work to handle drop-offs and pickups. District officials told WCPO the struggle to recruit and retain school bus drivers tracks with a national shortage.
District response
As the complaints stack up, Little Miami has been trying to refill the driver bench. The district has held job fairs and posted transportation openings on its employment pages, according to announcements from Little Miami Schools. Regional listings on Applitrack show open roles tied to transportation and the bus garage, along with the training steps new hires are expected to complete. Board members have also weighed signing and referral bonuses and have asked administrators to prepare a three-year staffing plan aimed at handling absences and resignations, according to meeting summaries reported by Citizen Portal.
Parents say it’s a daily scramble
The families on the receiving end of those cancellation emails say it feels like a game they never signed up to play. “You wait in the evening to get the email. Are you going to be the lottery system today?” parent Amy Ryan told WCPO, describing how each night brings a fresh round of suspense. Local babysitter Rosie Janis called the no-shows “a huge headache,” saying neighbors often scramble into ad hoc carpools when buses do not arrive. Parents told the station that the unpredictability is not just inconvenient, it is expensive, with some having to call off shifts and others juggling childcare just to keep their kids in class.
Statewide trade-offs and possible fixes
Ohio officials have been studying possible workarounds, and the findings are a mixed bag. The Ohio Department of Education’s Transportation Pilot Program report found that alternatives such as 9-passenger vans or third-party contractors can deliver reliable pickup rates but often at a much higher per-student price, according to the Ohio Department of Education. The evaluation showed that both direct-service pilots and contracted transportation improved on-time performance, yet officials warned that scaling those models would require additional funding. That ongoing tension between cost and reliability is one reason districts like Little Miami are looking at recruitment incentives, added training and route redesigns instead of flipping immediately to outsourced service.
How to apply and where to push
People interested in getting behind the wheel can search current openings and submit applications through the regional Applitrack portal or check the district’s employment pages for upcoming recruitment events. The Applitrack listings include postings for bus aides and transportation supervisors, as well as a rundown of basic training and testing requirements for new hires. Families who are dealing with repeated cancellations can bring those concerns to upcoming board meetings or contact the district transportation office directly for updates on specific routes.
