St. Johns County families are heading into the new school year with a transportation problem already on the schedule: the district is roughly 70 bus drivers short. With students returning next Monday, some buses will have to make multiple runs, and early-morning delays are likely to become part of the first-week routine.
The district calendar shows students return next Monday, while News4JAX reports that the district operates about 325 buses with roughly 275 drivers. Around 40 double runs are already planned across approximately 3,600 bus stops.
What Families Should Expect During The First Weeks
Superintendent Brennan Asplen said some drivers may handle double or triple pickups in the morning and afternoon, meaning one bus could collect students in one neighborhood before returning for another group. The district expects transportation operations to settle into a smoother rhythm within two to three weeks.
Parents can monitor route changes through the district’s BusPlanner and Chipmunk system. The portal and mobile app provide bus assignments, pickup information, delay alerts and transportation updates, while route details are no longer posted through the Home Access Center.
In practical terms, a late bus during the opening stretch may reflect a second route run or a freshly adjusted schedule rather than a route disappearing altogether. Families should build extra time into morning and afternoon plans and keep an eye on alerts instead of relying only on the usual pickup time.
The District Is Offering Incentives To Find Drivers
The St. Johns County School District is actively recruiting bus operators and says the job comes with paid training, benefits, flexible schedules and school holidays off, according to its bus driver hiring announcement. The district has also promoted a $5,000 signing bonus as it tries to close the staffing gap.
Asplen told News4JAX that a community-approved referendum has helped retain existing drivers, but continued population growth is still adding pressure. The district’s message is essentially that retention efforts worked, just not quite fast enough to keep up with demand.
The district’s negotiated agreement adds an important detail: prequalified applicants with the required Class A or B commercial license and passenger and school-bus endorsements can qualify for the $5,000 bonus after completing 90 school days. Entry-level operators are covered under separate bonus terms, so the full incentive depends on an applicant’s qualifications and hiring path.
Growth Has Slowed But The Student Count Keeps Rising
St. Johns County’s annual enrollment growth has eased from roughly 4% to 4.5% in prior years to about 1.5% over the past year, but the district is still expanding. News4JAX reports that two new schools opened this year, one in Silverleaf and one in Nocatee, with more than 51,000 students returning to class.
For now, the district is asking families to be patient while routes and staffing stabilize. The most useful back-to-school supplies may be a little extra time, a charged phone and a working Chipmunk login.
