SAN ANGELO, Texas — San Angelo Independent School District high school students who rely on district busses to get them to and from school daily will not have that service for the first two weeks of school.
The district said Tuesday, like school districts and businesses across the United States, it is experiencing an unprecedented bus driver shortage and increased student ridership.
The SAISD said it is addressing the shortage with a temporary delay of bus transportation for high school students, in grades 9-12, at Central High School, Central High School on Oakes and Lake View High School for the first two weeks of school.
There are currently eight bus routes without drivers for the start of the school year, and the SAISD is looking to hire 12 bus drivers for the 2022-2023 school year.
Transportation for high school students will resume Tuesday, Sept. 6, after the Labor Day holiday. There will be no change to elementary and middle school bus routes.
San Angelo ISD said its administrators and board members are diligently working on a solution to the bus driver shortage. On Monday, Aug. 15, the SAISD Board of Trustees will consider and vote on a recommendation by the administration to increase bus driver starting pay from $15 per hour to $20 per hour.
"We understand the inconvenience this temporary change will cause our families. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we look to resolve this challenge," the SAISD said in a release.