NORFOLK, Va. — With summer break coming to a close, News 3 reached out to all school districts in Hampton Roads to find out what the numbers are looking like in terms of vacancies.
Below is what the school districts have reported:
Portsmouth: They tell News 3 they already have drivers for all their routes. However, they say they are always recruiting bus drivers in order to always have fully trained drivers available on stand-by.
Hampton: 20 Vacancies, but they also have 20 people in different stages on training. 12 are in the process of getting their CDL licenses to become drivers. You can still do walk-in interviews every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Chesapeake: 86.5% of bus driver positions filled with a 13.5% vacancy rate.
Suffolk: Currently have 99 bus drivers with 15 vacancies. That comes out to a vacancy rate around 13.15%
Virginia Beach: Need 20-30 additional bus drivers with 9 drivers in the last stages of training. We’re told they should be finished and ready by the first day of school.
Norfolk and Hampton: Currently have not received numbers from these school districts. However, Hampton tell us they will have their numbers to us soon.
Newport News: 30.6% vacancy rate with 97 vacancies.
From the districts who have responded, Newport News currently has the highest vacancy rate of any district in Hampton Roads. Recently, Newport News Public Schools announced they are reducing the number of school bus stops throughout the city.
Watch: Newport News schools reduce bus stops ahead of new school year, raising concerns for families
School officials say the goal is to shorten wait times and make routes more manageable for a department still facing staffing shortages.
For links on how to apply to be a driver, monitor, or crossing guard in every school district in Hampton Roads. We have a story on our website right now. Click this link to learn more.
