September 23, 2023
Good afternoon West Shore students, families and staff,
Due to the continued bus driver shortage, September 25 through 29, Red Land, Cedar Cliff and Crossroads will rotate between in person and remote learning for a second week. All other District students will be learning in person.
Since my last message, we received a number of suggestions on ways to respond to the driver shortage and feedback on the negative effects of remote learning. One of the many options being explored is relying on some families to provide transportation for their student(s) and rerouting the District to meet the needs of those families unable to do so.
To help us gauge interest and determine if it is a viable option, we are asking families to participate in a Transportation Survey. If your family lives in a walking zone, you do not need to complete the survey. Please note, this is a survey and not an official commitment to opt your student out of District transportation.
To participate in the transportation survey, please visit:
The deadline for participation is Tuesday, September 26, at noon.
We share your concerns about the loss of instructional time and continue to look at other ways to respond to the driver shortage challenge. Some options that we have been evaluating include school-wide delays/early dismissals, hybrid learning, continued use of remote learning days, and the use of other transportation contractors (we reached out to nine and none are able to assist us). As you can imagine, every possible solution comes with its own set of challenges, but at this time, no suggestion or idea is going without consideration.
Following public comment at the Board Meeting on Thursday, September 21, myself, Mr. Sanders, and the Board discussed the driver shortage and District efforts in greater detail. If you are interested, I have included a link below to the meeting. Discussion occurs at approximately 1:13:30 into the video.
I want to end my message with some encouraging news. Thanks to word of mouth and media coverage, we have seen a promising increase in the number of applicants to First Student. The process from application to obtaining a CDL license is minimally three weeks. So, while there appears to be relief coming, we do still have some challenging days ahead. Thank you again for your patience and support.
Sincerely,
Todd B. Stoltz, Ed.D.
Superintendent
#WestShoreProud