'It's irritating' | Parents say bus route cancellations at Northwest Local School District are ongoing problem

COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Many families with students in the Northwest Local School District woke up to a notification that, they say, has become all too familiar.

Hamilton County’s second-largest school district canceled eight of its bus routes on Thursday, spokesperson Lyndsey Creecy said. The changes impacted at least one route at every middle and elementary school.

The cause of Thursday's delay has to do with staffing, Creecy said: “Like other districts, we’re all kind of faced with the issues of finding drivers.”

In particular, the district is “desperately in need” of substitute drivers as they rely on those individuals anytime there is a shortage.

While Creecy said the district is hiring drivers every day, the onboarding and training process can take six to eight weeks.

In the meantime, they’re continuing to push an advertising campaign to attract drivers through physical posters and hiring fares to social media and email campaigns.

“We have competitive wages, and so we are looking at our packages just to make sure that we’re able to draw the best drivers that are out there,” Creecy said. "Our bus drivers are amazing."

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Since school began in August, grandparent Lawanda Engleman said she has had to sit in the car pick-up line to pick up her grandchildren three times.

“I have to pick up for my daughter because she has to work,” Engleman said. “If nobody can pick up and drop them off, you’re out of luck.”

She said the notification about whether a bus route is canceled usually comes around 5 a.m. via email or text message. She hasn’t heard about what will happen on Friday.

“It’s irritating, but you just gotta do what you gotta do so your kids can go to school,” Engleman said.

Creecy said the district knows the cancellations are an inconvenience for families, and thanks them for their understanding.

“I do want them to know that, you know, we are making every effort,“ she said. “Our supervisors in transportation are oftentimes leaving their chairs to jump on a bus to drive as well. We are doing all that we can to make sure that we provide the transportation and that we get kids to school safely.”