Hawaii, Broward face bus shortages

Hawaii and South Florida school systems are entering the new academic year with bus driver shortages that are already cutting routes, delaying service and forcing districts to revise transportation plans. Hawaii education officials said on August 5 that about 30 school bus routes were unavailable across several islands, while Broward County Public Schools said in July it needed roughly 100 more drivers. In Palm Beach County, district officials said this week they will deploy 15 smaller buses on low-ridership routes as a workaround. ### How large is the Hawaii shortfall right now? The Hawaii Department of Education said on August 5 that school bus service remained short across several islands, with approximately 30 routes unavailable. KHON2 reported that Kauai and Molokai were fully staffed, while other islands were still short of drivers. Honolulu officials said on August 4 that the city was short about 88 drivers out of a workforce of roughly 1,000. (khon2.com) KHON2 reported that the city and county were taking applications for dozens of open positions as delays and cancellations continued. Training requirements are part of the constraint. KHON2 said becoming a school bus driver in Hawaii generally takes six to 12 weeks, extending the time between recruiting applicants and putting them on routes. (khon2.com) ### What is Broward saying before classes begin? Broward County Public Schools said on July 16 that it was about 100 drivers short with roughly three weeks left before the start of school. (khon2.com) Dr. Simone Clowers, the district’s transportation director, told NBC 6: “We always need bus drivers for the start of every school year, and right now we’re about a hundred short.” (khon2.com) NBC 6 reported that the shortage could affect transportation for about 45,000 students in Broward. The station also said district officials tied part of the shortage to licensing problems affecting workers who had held Temporary Protected Status. A separate NBC 6 report said Broward leaders were trying to hire between 60 and 100 drivers before students returned. (nbcmiami.com) That hiring push came as the district continued route practice and back-to-school preparations. ### Why is Palm Beach changing the kind of buses it uses? Palm Beach County school officials said on August 5 that they will roll out 15 smaller passenger buses for the upcoming school year. (nbcmiami.com) WPBF reported the buses seat 14 students plus a driver and are intended for smaller routes. Michael Burke, superintendent of Palm Beach County Schools, told WPBF the district would “match them to routes that are smaller routes that are serving 14 kids or fewer.” WPBF said the 15-bus fleet is expected to cover about 75 routes. (nbcmiami.com) District officials said they plan to evaluate the program after its initial August rollout. (wpbf.com) WPBF reported that parents may notice a smaller vehicle arriving at bus stops as the change takes effect. ### What does this mean for schools on the first days back? Across Hawaii and South Florida, the immediate effect is operational: missing routes, delayed pickups and students arriving after class has started. (wpbf.com) Hawaii officials described routes as unavailable, while Honolulu officials said the driver gap was contributing to delays and cancellations. Broward officials said the shortage could affect tens of thousands of student riders. For campuses, that means first-period teachers and school staff are likely to keep handling late arrivals and mid-lesson entries while districts continue recruiting. Palm Beach officials said their smaller-bus program will be reviewed after launch in August, and Broward and Honolulu officials said hiring remains active as the school year opens. (nbcmiami.com) (khon2.com)