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Driver shortage in Las Vegas means tardy school buses

Posted at 6:02 PM, Sep 29, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-29 21:12:18-04

Linda McKenzie says her son's school bus has been tardy nearly every day since the school year started.

"When you wait 20, 30 minutes, an hour for a bus to come, I think that's inexcusable," said Linda.

It's been such a problem that she keeps it all written down in a handwritten log. She claims some days the bus didn't show up, or came well after school started at 7 a.m.

Linda says she's missed work to get her Chaparral sophomore to and from school. She's complained to the administration and the transportation department.

"They told me their hands are tied," she said.

Tardy to school means precious class time is lost. And some students say they've struggled to keep up.

"I miss more classes [like] first period, and I'm arriving during my second period," said freshman Joyce Diaz.

Contact 13 reached out to the Clark County School District to find out what's going on. Linda says she's been told a bus driver shortage has been blamed. Bus driver positions were on the chopping block to shore up school district's budget hole.

CCSD says there is an action plan in place to ensure that kids get to school on time from now on, according to the following statement from a CCSD spokesperson:

The Clark County School District is committed to providing safe, timely, efficient and courteous bus transportation services to every eligible student. The concern has been brought to the attention of the transportation department staff who are working to remedy the situation.

Staff will continue to work diligently until the goal is met by examining the bus schedule route and making possible changes if deemed necessary to provide improved arrival times.

If parents may have specific concerns regarding their student’s transportation needs they are urged to contact CCSD’s Transportation Department and speak with a representative by calling (702) 799-8111.