A month after Merrimack Valley School District administrators warned of major disruptions to daily bus routes, they had some positive and unexpected news to share: Not one bus route has been canceled so far.
“I’m ecstatic, to be honest with you,” Business Administrator Sam York said in an interview.
The consistent service has been a welcome reversal of the chaos that plagued the district last spring, when a lack of drivers led to daily uncertainty about whether buses would run.
Hoping to preempt a repeat, administrators recommended this summer that the district eliminate two bus routes entirely and prepare walking-friendly infrastructure for most students who live in Penacook. The proposal prompted significant pushback from parents, who raised concerns about safety, and the school board opted against it.
At the time, in early August, the district had just 13 fully certified drivers for 20 routes.
“These kids are going to have nothing” even if the all the bus routes are retained, transportation director Noelle Panagopoulos warned at the time.
Over the subsequent three weeks, however, the district was able to get seven more drivers hired and fully certified — enough to staff every route.
“The shoutout goes to Noelle and the other trainers, as well as really all the drivers stepping up and being willing to come in and get these kids to and from school,” York said.
Still, the district is operating without a margin, which means a single driver calling out can throw the system off-balance. A couple more employees are in the process of obtaining their driving certifications, York said.
Merrimack Valley’s staffing challenges come amid a nationwide bus driver shortage.
Last year, two of the district’s drivers died and three more were unable to renew required certifications, Panagopoulos said.