Vermilion, Ohio – The Vermilion Local School District is temporarily suspending bus service for high school students, officials confirmed Monday night.
In a letter to families, the school district stated that the bus driver shortage, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic, has gotten worse in recent months.
According to the letter, a bus mechanic left in the spring and a driver retired at the end of the previous school year.
Another driver resigned this week, and another developed a medical condition that will keep him from driving indefinitely, according to the district.
“We cannot consolidate any additional routes because our buses are full due to the prior consolidations,” the letter said.
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The Vermilion Local School District is temporarily suspending busing for grades 9 through 12 until those positions are filled.
The district stated that extracurricular busing will not be affected.
Superintendent Dr. David Hile noted in his letter that the hiring process for bus drivers is complicated.
“They have to meet rigorous qualifications,” she said. “In addition to obtaining a CDL specifically for driving a school bus, which requires passing four written tests and a driving test, school bus drivers in Ohio must complete 15 hours of classroom instruction and 12 hours of behind-the-wheel training before operating a school bus with students on board. All of this can take weeks, if not months, to complete, discouraging many applicants from completing the process.”
Hile stated that they intend to resume busing for high schoolers as soon as possible.
“Please understand that this is the last thing we want to do because we know how important busing is for our families, and we only do this because we have no other available options,” said the administrator.
Anyone who wishes to apply for one of these positions should do so here.
The Economic Policy Institute investigated the severe bus driver shortage last year. According to the report, there were 12.2% fewer bus drivers on the road in September 2024 compared to September 2019.
