A school bus waits at an intersection in Issaquah, east of Seattle, on Feb. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

A school bus waits at an intersection in Issaquah, east of Seattle, on Feb. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Seattle Schools cuts bus routes due to driver shortage

Starting Monday, Seattle Public Schools is suspending 142 school bus routes due to a driver shortage.

By Monica Velez / The Seattle Times

SEATTLE — Beginning Monday, Seattle Public Schools is suspending 142 school bus routes, a move made necessary because of a national bus driver shortage and because some drivers are declining the state-mandated coronavirus vaccine for public employees, district officials say.

Out of the 18,000 students who are eligible for bus rides, about 6,740 could be affected by the bus route cuts, but the actual number could be lower, district spokesperson Tim Robinson said.

The 142 bus routes that are being cut will not affect students in special education classes, students with Individualized Education Programs, students whose disabilities make them eligible for public transportation services, students experiencing homelessness or foster students. Schools at interim sites or those that serve “high proportions of historically underserved students” won’t be affected either, according to an email to parents sent Friday afternoon.

Seattle Schools does not know how many students will be affected by route shortages because the number of students who ride the bus fluctuates every day, Robinson said. Of the 18,000 students in the district who are eligible for transportation services, it’s estimated about half ride the bus.

“If I were to guess, between 3,000 to 4,000 (students) would be affected,” said Fred Podesta, assistant superintendent of operations. Seattle contracts with a company, First Student, to provide bus service.

Not all school districts have been affected by the vaccine mandate. Bellevue School District officials said “mostly” all of its drivers are vaccinated and bus routes are not being cut.

Lake Washington School District does not anticipate losing drivers because of the mandate, officials said. All of Issaquah School District bus drivers are vaccinated, officials said, and to their knowledge none of them resigned because of the mandate.

Seattle warned parents a week ago that cuts were coming, with an email that said “it is possible that the remaining drivers may only be able to cover one-third of the general education routes we currently run.”

As soon as next week, a “handful” of bus routes could return, Podesta said. The district is working with families and school officials to put students on other bus routes if needed.

At capacity, the district has a total of 600 routes, district officials said. Seattle Schools is expecting to lose 20 drivers on Monday because of the vaccine mandate. With those drivers off the roster, it needs 70 additional drivers.

Suspending some bus routes will help with late bus times, Podesta said, because bus drivers have had to pick up extra routes, which causes delays. Fewer routes will also help because bus driver trainers have been driving some of the routes, he said.

“This change in strategy helps us dig out (of transportation issues) faster and provide better service for those taking the bus,” Podesta said.

Seattle Schools will give middle school students a one-week Metro bus pass next week and is working on getting some permanent passes for students, Podesta said.

The district is also looking for drivers who can transport students in passenger vans, which don’t require the same type of driver licensing.

To help with transportation issues, Seattle Schools officials reached out to the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction “to see if there is anything the state had to offer but I don’t think those conversations have progressed,” Podesta said.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Northwest

Whidbey cop accused of rape quits job after internal inquiry

The report was unsparing in its allegations against John Nieder, who is set to go to trial May 6 in Skagit County Superior Court on two counts of rape in the second degree.

LA man was child rape suspect who faked his death

Coroner’s probe reveals the Los Angeles maintenance man was a Bremerton rape suspect believed to have jumped off the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

Logo for news use, for stories regarding Washington state government — Olympia, the Legislature and state agencies. No caption necessary. 20220331
Edmonds rep’s bill would try to stop police from lying in interrogations

Rep. Strom Peterson’s measure aims to make statements inadmissible if police use deceptive tactics to get those statements.

The exterior doors of Boeing's 737 assembly factory are shown closed Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Boeing mechanics in Renton mis-installed piece that blew off plane, whistleblower says

A source says the fuselage panel that blew off an Alaska Airlines jet earlier this month was reinstalled improperly at the Boeing facility in Renton.

Yvonne Gallardo-Van Ornam, left, and Clyde Shaver
Arlington council member to run for state rep against Shavers

Yvonne Gallardo-Van Ornam called it a “little embarrassing” to have Oak Harbor Rep. Clyde Shavers “representing veterans.”

Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, at right, looks over at Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, ranking minority member of Senate Transportation Committee, at left, after participating in a panel during a legislative session preview in the Cherberg Building at the Capitol, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024 in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Edmonds senator wants LGBTQ+ history taught in public schools

Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, is the bill’s prime sponsor and one of the Legislature’s LGBTQ+ members.

Logo for news use featuring Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington. 220118
Island County pays $2.75M to former Navy chief shot after standoff

A lawsuit alleged the Island County Sheriff’s Office was responsible for “state-created danger.”

West Beach Road was closed and residents were evacuated during the wind storm Tuesday. (John Fisken / Whidbey News Times)
Whidbey homes damaged, road closed, ferry rocked in wild wind storm

A wind storm toppled a tree onto a house, canceled ferry trips and prompted evacuations Tuesday.

April Berg thanks her supporters during a midterm election night watch party on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, at Laters Winery in Snohomish, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Mill Creek rep proposes new tax to fund affordable housing

“We’ve made a commitment to housing,” said bill sponsor and House Finance Chair Rep. April Berg, D-Mill Creek.

Rep. Strom Peterson of Washington’s 21st legislative district speaks during the Everett Herald’s public forum on affordable housing at the Lynnwood Library on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, in Lynnwood, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Edmonds lawmaker wants to stop police from lying in interrogations

“This is a matter of fairness,” said Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, the lead sponsor of House Bill 1062.

FILE - A Boeing 737 MAX 7 takes off on its first flight, Friday, March 16, 2018, in Renton, Wash. Boeing is asking federal regulators to exempt a new model of its 737 Max airliner from a safety standard designed to prevent part of the engine housing from overheating and breaking off during flight. Boeing needs the exemption to begin delivering the new, smaller Max 7 to airlines.(AP Photo/Jason Redmond, File)
Boeing seeks a safety-rule exemption on 737 Max jets

The aerospace giant hasn’t fixed the anti-icing system on its new, smaller version of the airliner.

A pod of transient orcas, known as T124As, surfacing near Tacoma. (Craig Craker/Orca Network)
Newborn southern resident orca spotted in Puget Sound near Kingston

Researchers hadn’t spotted the baby in recent encounters with the endangered orcas, likely making the calf just a few days old.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.