CUMBERLAND CO SCHOOLS RUNNING DESPERATELY SHORT OF BUS DRIVERS
Cumberland county schools are running very short of bus drivers due to COVID-19 related absences, either with the virus or quarantined.
At least five were diagnosed with COVID-19 in two days this past week. We are told it’s getting so bad that almost everyone in the bus department is having to fill in if they have the required license. Mechanics are filling in as bus drivers which put the other busses in a bad situation if they were to break down and need work. Drivers are asking parents to be patient if the bus is running late. Some routes can’t be run due to the shortage of drivers. Cumberland County is one of the largest road miles districts in the state.
The question is: What happens if there are no drivers to transports students. Turns out – we’ve never had to face that problem before. The protocol now is for what few drivers there are to run as many routes as they can to cover the loss of drivers along with anyone else in the bus department who has a class B CDL license. Cumberland County is also struggling, like many other counties, to get substitute teachers. Grainger County Schools closed this past Friday due to a shortage of bus drivers and substitute teachers. Carter County Schools closed on August 23 due to the same shortages. 
Anonymous
August 28, 2021 at 2:28 pm
Time to shut the school down @ least for a whole week! It’s getting out of hand!
Anonymous
August 28, 2021 at 3:08 pm
No just paid the driver cumberland county paid a driver about $50.00 to $60.00 a day if they paid about $90.00 a day you would would get driver I drove for 7 years for the county and could not make it work the insurance is no good
Anonymous
August 31, 2021 at 1:05 pm
They need to change their whole policy they need to pay them 17 dollars a hour and give them a raise every year like a dollar raise .8 hours on the clock how they can do it 4 hours in the morning helping out the others schools who need drivers and in-between that we stay on the clock till we finish the afternoon run. Also they need to pay them every week not once a month every body not married to a army man or have a husban some or just single parents trying to make it. Everything going up but the pay in Cumberland County Schools that crazy this why people have to struggle 2 jobs and can’t have time with their kids Cumberland County is a slavery place to keep you down. I would never recommend this place to no one to live they take your money and put it to new highways and side walks and new homes you cannot afford to buy.
People need to come together and strike don’t move anything no busses or custodian cleaning Schools they will give you what you need then try it.
Libby
August 28, 2021 at 5:57 pm
The school board should be ashamed of themselves for not implementing mask mandates. If other counties can why won’t ours? This is a pathetic example of our lack of preparation for this school year.
Christine
August 28, 2021 at 9:57 pm
Well the answer seems pretty simple ! I guess you shut the schools down like last yr until the numbers start to drop ?
Anonymous
August 29, 2021 at 8:37 am
Shut the school down 2 weeks. That’s the average span of the sickness. Do the virtual classes if nothing else.