Buckeye provides update on ways its looking to address bus driver shortage

YORK TWP. — Buckeye Schools is working to find solutions to address its bus driver shortage for this school year and beyond. Superintendent Jeff Stanton provided a transportation update during the board of education meeting Tuesday. In January, the board of education approved a services agreement with GG&C Bus Company Inc. to contract bus drivers for the remainder of the 2025-26 school year. Stanton said the contract was put in place as a temporary fix to the problem, and it has netted the district three more drivers. "These drivers have absolutely helped stabilize transportation since the board approved that in January," he said. "We expect that we're going to need those additional drivers for the remainder of the school year. A reminder that our goal is not to employ or to contract with GG&C after this school year." Also during the January meeting, the board approved an agreement between the district and Midwest Educational Transportation Service to recruit and hire bus drivers. Stanton said this was put in place as more of a long-term solution, and the district has gained 16 interviews since working with the organization. "For probably the three or four months prior to us working with (Midwest Educational Transportation Service), we might have had two interviews," he said. "They're working hard on getting us some qualified candidates. Six of those candidates we have decided that we would like to move forward with." The goal for the 2026-27 school year is to have 15 bus drivers, Stanton said. The district currently has 13 active drivers, who consist of 10 Buckeye employees and three who are contracted with GG&C. "(Our goal) is contingent on new hires, no unexpected loss of current drivers and the return of drivers that we have who might be on leave or unavailable for whatever reason and hoping they come back," he said. "We're not there yet. We got to keep working on this, but our goal is 15, and we're closer now than we were really at any other time this year." Stanton thanked Buckeye's principals, teachers and community members for their response to transportation in the district. He said transportation concerns have settled down, but it is not perfect. "We know that it has gotten better because a lot of our parents are choosing not to put their children on the bus," he said. "That is not something we're comfortable with. We want to provide transportation services for all of our students that are qualified and request it." Buckeye is going to have to continue discussing possible options to further address transportation if the district does not reach the number of drivers it needs, Stanton said. "Any transportation change you make, you really have to make prior to the beginning of the school year," he said. "It's really difficult on parents, students and teachers, and even there's some legalities that you can't change a whole lot during the school year. If we're considering any changes, they have to be in place before next school year." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.