Two school bus routes serving Hunter Huss High School in Gastonia are off the road this week, and the school says it simply doesn't have enough drivers to keep them running. Bus 504 and Bus 512 will not operate Wednesday through Friday, Nov. 4-6, leaving riders on those routes to find another way to get to class.
The school attributed the cancellations directly to a shortage of bus drivers, according to WBTV. In a statement cited by the station, the school said, “At this time, we do not have any additional drivers to send out to run these routes,” and added, “we urge you to find another mode of transportation for those routes this week.”
The station's report also notes that Hunter Huss used the same statement to make a pitch for new hires, urging anyone interested in driving a school bus to apply. It's a recruiting push that reflects a staffing gap playing out across the entire district, not just on these two routes.
A Districtwide Driver Shortage
Gaston County Schools has reported 21 openings for school bus drivers, though the district says that number is fairly typical. At any given time, the district has 20 to 25 vacancies for bus drivers, according to Gaston County Schools.
The district has said its two-tier model for bus transportation, which allows individual drivers to complete multiple routes, has helped offset the ongoing shortage. Even so, the gap was apparently wide enough this week to force Hunter Huss to pull two routes entirely rather than patch them together with the drivers on hand.
Who Can Apply to Drive
For anyone weighing whether to answer the school's call for new drivers, the qualifications are spelled out by the district itself. Gaston County Schools requires bus drivers to be at least 18 years old and to pass a bus driver training program designated by the N.C. Division of Highways, per the district's transportation page.
That training and licensing falls under the state's purview rather than the local district's. The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles says it is responsible for training and licensing school bus drivers and does not hire drivers for individual school systems, leaving that hiring role to districts like Gaston County Schools.
Bus service itself is not optional for many families in the district. Gaston County Schools provides bus transportation to elementary, middle and high school students who live at least a mile and a half from their assigned school, underscoring why losing even two routes can ripple through a household's morning routine.
