IONIA COUNTY, Mich. — A shortage of school bus drivers in the Lakewood School District left some families scrambling for transportation throughout the school year.
Mindy Lange, who lives in Campbell Township, said her family received several last-minute notifications from Lakewood Public Schools informing them that their son's bus route had been canceled because of staffing shortages.
WATCH: Lakewood families impacted by bus cancellations as district seeks more drivers
"At the end of the year there were two days in a row that his bus was cancelled," Lange said. "One I found out the morning of, the next day I found out the night before, but two days in a row was a real struggle for us."
Lange said bus cancellation alerts became a familiar occurrence throughout the school year.
Each cancellation meant she and her husband had to quickly adjust their schedules to make sure their son could get to school.
"The big deal for us is both my husband and I work in Grand Rapids, which I'm assuming quite a few people out in rural areas do," Lange said. "Because of that commute, if the buses cancel, I have to, or my husband would have to, drive my son or my kids all the way into Lake Odessa, which is a 15- to 20-minute drive the opposite way of which I commute into work."
Lakewood Public Schools says it's working to address the shortage before students return in the fall.
"Lakewood Public Schools is actively looking for community-minded individuals to step into the driver's seat and join our incredible transportation team," the district said.
According to district officials, Lakewood Public Schools unexpectedly lost a driver during the school year, creating staffing challenges that have been difficult to overcome.
The district currently employs 13 full-time bus drivers and five substitute drivers. Officials say their goal is to hire at least two additional drivers before the start of the next school year.
To help attract applicants, the district provides the CDL training required to become a school bus driver through Midwest School Bus Driver Training (METS), a six- to eight-week program that includes step-by-step instruction and road test preparation.
District officials say the position offers a flexible schedule and a starting wage of $21.33 per hour.
For Lange, filling those positions would provide reassurance that transportation disruptions will be less common in the future.
"I just want him to be able to get there without a hassle in the morning and without us having to worry about whether he's going to be able to get there on time without us having to move around our schedule," she said.
Anyone interested in becoming a bus driver with Lakewood Public Schools can contact Transportation Supervisor Hollie Graham at 616-374-0759 or by email at holliegraham@lakewoodps.org for more information.
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