The Rochester City School District still plans to start in-class learning on Thursday, but the situation involving the severe shortage of bus drivers continues to be in flux with word that another nine drivers have resigned.
The news was delivered by Superintendent Lesli Myers-Small at a school board meeting Tuesday evening, who asked that she be able to leave the meeting after a brief presentation so that she and her team can continue on working to find transportation solutions.
Myers-Small said that with the latest driver resignations there are now 36 unassigned routes affecting 174 students with disabilities.
But officials say, by law, the district is required to provide transportation to students with disabilities.
“These impacted students are students with disabilities; by law, we have to provide coverage for them, so that means, coverage that we have for other students already has to be strategically shifted over,” Board President Van White said.
As a result there will be a ripple effect that will impact other students getting bus transportation from the city school district.
RTS is expected to pick up additional bus routes, to transport students from five additional high schools. That plan is still being finalized.
But even with that extra help, those additional bus runs won’t start until next Monday, Sept. 13, so some students may have to take classes online this Thursday and Friday, unless they can find another way to get to school.
At an emergency school board work session on Wednesday, Myers-Small said that there are 317 students without transportation as of early Wednesday afternoon. The superintendent said it is an evolving situation and the district continues to work to inform families about the bus situation.
