DPS parents call bus shortage an 'equity issue,' as some students have missed numerous school days

Thursday, December 19, 2024 6:12PM ET
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Charles Daniels' son Ibrahim has missed more than 20 days of school because of the bus driver shortage affecting Durham Public Schools families.

"His math grades are a lot lower than I would like them to be because he's missed so many days, over 20 days," said Daniels. "It affects him socially, too. My son has autism. He looks forward to school."

The school district can only guarantee transportation for Ibrahim and other students four days a week. Daniels has to find a way to get him to the School for Creative Studies once a week.

"It's expensive," he said.

It's something the Daniels family said they simply can't afford.



"This is 100% an equity issue," said David Klein, who is also a DPS parent.

Klein was among several who spoke out last month about this at the school board meeting. He and his wife organized a grassroots effort to help take students in need to school after hearing some of their stories.

"One woman I spoke to says she spends $90 a week on Ubers," he said.

ABC11 spoke with DPS Superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis this week and he said the school bus shortage has become such an issue that even he has taken children in his neighborhood to school.

"I'm a parent first, and I have two kids in this district who ride the bus as well," said Lewis.



On Thursday, Lewis is planning to make a proposal to the school board that would stop bus service for all students living within one mile of their school. It's something he said could affect about 750 students.

The nationwide school bus driver shortage has Los Angeles-based technology company HopSkipDrive eyeing North Carolina. It provides caregivers on wheels contracted through school districts to get students to school. It already operates in 13 states.

"We know districts around the country including in North Carolina are experiencing shortages. It doesn't have to be this way," said Campbell Millum with HopSkipDrive.

The rotational bus service was only supposed to last for a few weeks, but as it stands now, DPS parents will have to find a ride for their children at least once a week until the end of January.

"They have to come up with a better solution," said Daniels.
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