Parents frustrated as Albemarle unable to provide school bus transportation to hundreds of students

ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - Albemarle County students will be heading back to class in two weeks, but hundreds of families are just now learning they won’t be able to ride a school bus.

Albemarle County Public Schools recently sent out nearly 1000 letters informing families that it doesn’t have enough drivers, and can’t provide transportation.

“They gave us literally two weeks’ notice,” Kellie Washington said.

Washington has three kids in school, and says two weeks isn’t enough time for her to plan around.

“It’s the earliest that we could have done that,” ACPS Spokesperson Phil Giaramita said.

Parents are saying the driver shortage is not a new issue, and this late notice shows a lack of forethought from the people in charge.

“The leadership of Albemarle County schools just can’t fix problems, even if it’s completely clear what the problem is. They had months to do it,” parent Paul McArtor said.

Washington says she was a bus driver for nearly a decade.

“Drivers don’t want to be there. They don’t want to work for the administration that’s there,” she said.

Giaramita says they’ll reach out to parents if spots open up on buses.

“We’re going to be talking with families over the next couple of weeks to to again, reiterate, do you absolutely need service and do you intend for your child to ride the bus this year,” the spokesperson said.

In the meantime, many parents are left with only a couple weeks to figure out how they’ll get their children to and from school.

“It’s frustrating and disheartening that the schools dictate all these things, but then don’t assist in coming up with solutions for people that have to work, you know, that don’t have the flexibility of taking their kids to and from school when school starts at 9 a.m. and gets out at 4 p.m.,” parent Jennifer McArtor said.

The School Board is set to meet Thursday, August 10, at the County Office Building.

The first day of school in Albemarle County is Wednesday, August 23.

RELATED:

• Albemarle County Public Schools preparing for students’ return as bus driver shortage persists
• Central Virginia school divisions trying to make progress in vacancy rates of bus drivers
• Parents speak out, urging schools to help affected students as buses continue to arrive late
• Legislation in the General Assembly could relieve ACPS bus driver shortage
• Albemarle County Public Schools providing new solutions to bus driver shortage
• ACPS Superintendent drives school buses to help with shortage
• ACPS delays addressing school bus driver shortage
• ACPS considering changing bus driver pay
• ACPS middle schooler standing up to shorten the length of bus rides
• Albemarle County Public Schools provides solutions for the current bus driver shortage
• ACPS considering public transportation use for students
• ACPS buying ‘Type A’ buses as driver recruiting tactic
• ACPS reporting late or no-show buses every day this week
• Job fairs helping ACPS recruit more bus drivers
• ACPS still feeling the impact from the bus driver shortage
• ACPS walk zone enforcement starts Oct. 11
• Check your Parent Portal for Albemarle County Public Schools’ consolidated bus routes
• Continuing bus delays lead to expanding walk zones for Albemarle County Schools
• Albemarle Co. and Charlottesville schools facing major bus driver shortages
• Albemarle County Public Schools hold training for incoming bus drivers
• Charlottesville and Albemarle both short bus drivers for coming school year
• ACPS dealing with bus driver shortage ahead of stage 4 return
• New bills could help end Albemarle County Public Schools bus driver shortage

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