The Anchorage School District and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson have signed an agreement to allow active duty Airmen with the 673rd Logistics Readiness Squadron to transport students who attend school on base for the next 90 days. The Anchorage School District is lacking dozens of school bus drivers, which has led to headaches for parent, students, and drivers just trying to get through traffic near the schools, which are jammed with private vehicles dropping off or picking up students.
The military drivers have undergone training this week and will be ready to drive Sept. 1, according to the district.
Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt said that will free up four bus drivers to take on non-base routes this coming week and said the district is on track to be fully staffed before October. However, that only will happen if more people apply for bus driving jobs.
“We currently have 162 bus drivers active on routes and 25 more in training. We are currently interviewing 21 potential candidates. Additionally, we will have 17 late return drivers joining us by Sept. 19. We are offering new bus drivers up to $2,500 extra and new bus attendants up to $500 extra for the first semester of the 2022-23 school year,” Bryantt wrote.
To learn more about becoming a bus driver, click here.
Nearly 2,000 people have signed up to volunteer in the Anchorage schools, with most applicants wanting to help as bus attendants and crossing guards.
“This is a tremendous response from our neighbors, and I am overjoyed to see the community step forward. Thank you!” Bryantt wrote.
“We’ve made progress in alleviating some of the traffic congestion. Since the start of school, we have teamed up with our transportation partners at the Municipality of Anchorage and the State of Alaska to identify areas with the heaviest congestion and make changes. For example, the intersection of Abbott and Elmore traffic flow has become 30 minutes quicker than last week,” he wrote.
“With the understanding that this is both a systemic issue and a national issue, I have launched a third-party audit of operations to make sure this doesn’t happen again. This includes the possible use of a new, state-of-the-art routing software. All options remain on the table, including school start times, as the effect could free up more drivers.”
When you hire a superintendent who checks the right boxes as opposed to experience and merit, this is what you get. I imagine it was known last spring there would be a driver shortage. They could have had all summer to address the problem, recruit and hire. No, they were oblivious until sh _ _ hit the fan on the first day of school to react. Expect more of these blunders.
We are at war!!!!!! Deployment has happened and is directed at the anchorage school system—the enemy
Welcome to Biden’s America, where the military now has to drive kids to school instead of protecting our shores. The commies in Washington will not be content until we are a destitute 3rd world country subservient to the CCP and China. Biden is purposely destroying our country and what are Alaska’s Senators doing to stop him or impeach him? Absolutely nothing! That should tell you everything you need to know. Elections have consequences, stolen elections have catastrophic consequences.
The only time something like this should ever be considered is if the bus drivers went on strike, or if they were all struck by some kind of illness.
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The fact that the school district needs to take this action is proof positive of their incompetence. It is a failure of management and planning, and it starts at the head and permeates down.
Gee..
ASD had no idea they needed Bus Drivers.
Do they have any Teachers?
Is the light bill paid?
I seriously do not know where to begin.
Thanks!
Mark
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