Parents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, could make up to $3,000 if they agree to drive their students to school, one of the several ways the city's school district is attempting to ease the impact of a bus driver shortage ahead of the next academic term.
The School District of Philadelphia, which serves over 197,000 students from kindergarten through high school, opened enrollment for their Parent Flat Rate Program in June. According to the district's website, parents and guardians who opt out of their child's bus assignments and instead offer to drive their student to and from school will receive $300 a month. There is also an option for parents who agree to drive their kids to school in the morning but use a bus service in the afternoon—those families will receive $150 monthly.
Bus driver shortages, like other school staff shortages, were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and have been impacting districts across the country in recent years. A recent analysis from USA Today found that at least one instance of "major school bus driver shortage" could be found in every state ahead of the 2023-2024 school year.
In Philadelphia, the city's district is also offering higher pay to recruit new bus drivers. According to a report from Fox affiliate WTXF, full-time drivers start at roughly $45,000 a year, and part-time workers make over $23,000. Drivers are also offered paid training to obtain their commercial driver's license.
WTXF also reported that the School District of Philadelphia has 105 bus driver openings still available. School is scheduled to start September 5.
Newsweek reached out to the district's communications team via email Monday evening for comment on the Parent Flat Rate Program.
Elsewhere in the country, bus driver shortages have caused turmoil for the start of the school year. Kentucky's largest school district had to close its doors earlier this month after a "transportation disaster" caused some students in the Jefferson County Public School District to not get home until 10 p.m. after the first day of school.
In Chicago, Illinois, which started school on Monday, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) district is still short 619 bus drivers needed to serve the nearly 17,000 students that qualify for transportation. WBBM, a CBS News affiliate, reported that CPS raised its pay for drivers from between $15 to $20 hourly to $25 an hour in hopes of enticing new hires.
Some CPS families are also being offered up to $500 a month if they self-transport their students to school. The district's website states that Diverse Learners and Students in Temporary Living Situations who are eligible for transportation can apply for the program as long as the student maintains a 20 percent or higher attendance rate. General education students can apply to receive a free $35 Ventra card, which will allow students to take Chicago's public transportation to school.
"This is a suburban problem, this is an urban problem, this is a rural problem," said Joanna McFarland, co-founder of the school transportation service HopSkipDrive, who spoke with USA Today. "It's not like we're seeing this in one particular state, or like this is cities versus rural. This is something that almost every single school district is facing. ... It is affecting everything, everywhere."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus is reporting on national ... Read more
