Wake County parents begging for bus routes as district faces 'severe' school bus driver shortage

Wake County parents are preparing for a rough ride this school year.

Some families have been told there isn't even a bus route for their kids, while others have been put on notice that transportation is going to be an issue.

A message was sent to parents warning that the district is facing a severe bus driver shortage and "Sometimes, no bus will be available and students will have to find alternative transportation to and from school."

Adults were asked to sign up to provide their own transportation.

ABC11 has reached out a couple of times to the WCPSS to see how many vacancies there are and to see if anything is being done right now to onboard more school bus drivers. As of this writing, we have not heard back.

Amalay Lewis is slowly gearing up to start Kindergarten at Brentwood Elementary School, while her parents are stressed out.

They have been calling the WCPSS nonstop.

"We don't even have a bus route in our area, so like we're going to have to be driving or we're going have to just keep begging for something," said parent Ana Louis.

Mel Harris has been a Wake County School bus driver for 11 years and is a member of the NCAE.

She loves her job and says you have to enjoy kids to do this work, but she has seen colleagues walk away because they're paid only once a month and it can be difficult at times to handle students.

Harris is concerned the shortage will place even more duties on those who remain on the job.

"You have to double up on routes - it is a problem," said Harris. "It can cause behavioral issues. It causes kids to have to be on the bus longer than they need to be, drivers get off later than they should and then they can burn out mentally and physically."

Harris is preparing to get hit in two directions, as she also has kids in Wake schools.

"No parent wants to have their kids picked up in the morning and then they're dropped, and then in the afternoon, they don't have a way to get home. So it's stressful either way," said Harris.

Louis is still figuring out how they're going to make the school year work, but there is a bright spot.

She took matters into her own hands and worked to become a bus driver herself.

"I know there's such a shortage, I'm like 'well I might as well do something to make money on the side," said Louis.

Wake says on its website the district will pay any license fee and is offering up to $3,000 in bonuses.