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Lansing Central School District and programs that rent busses from the schools are finding it hard to transport children because of a bus driver shortage.  The district has enough busses, but not enough qualified drivers to operate them.  Business Administrator Mary June King says the situation has caused Transportation Supervisor Roger Dedrick to work above and beyond what is reasonable.

"We are aggressively pursuing trying to find new bus drivers," King said last week.  "We're just not seeing folks lining up looking for these jobs."

The Town Recreation Department also finds itself without drivers according to Recreation Director Steve Colt.  The Town commissions Lansing school busses to provide transportation to remote program locations, such as Greek Peak for the annual winter skiing program.  But Colt says that the lack of drivers forces him to cancel events at the last minute.

"We've run into an awful problem this year in some of our programs, because there aren't enough drivers," he said.  "Some of our programs are small.  I think in the old days we used to use the LOAP van."

The Town Board Wednesday considered purchasing a new vehicle for the Lansing Older Adults Program.  One idea was to give the current vehicle to the Recreation Department.  Councilman Ed LaVigne suggested purchasing a larger van that could be used for LOAP and other purposes, but Highway Superintendent Jack French noted that would require a special license for the drivers.  Volunteers drive the current van for Lansing elders, often one or two at a time.

Colt said that they would need to be able to transport a minimum of nine to twelve riders, which would require a larger vehicle with a specially licensed driver.  He said that he and Recreation Supervisor Pat Tyrrell are considering getting licensed to drive school busses so they don't have to cancel programs when the schools can't provide a driver.

"If that's going to be the case Pat and I will get licenses and when we have a pinch at the bus garage we can drive," Colt told the Town Board Wednesday.  "We've been in that pinch three or four times this year.  I couldn't confirm whether a program was going to happen until that afternoon because they didn't have a driver."

Colt says that is especially difficult when parents have paid for a program that has already begun and there are few or no possible times to make up lost sessions.

"We have to call and say sorry, there's no program today," Colt said.  "It's not a snow day -- it's a driver day."

Bus Drivers must hold a New York State Commercial driver license with an 'S' endorsement.  Applicants must pass a 20 question written test for the commercial license, pass a road test, and provide a medical certificate.  To drive a school bus they must then pass a road skills test in a school bus to earn the 'S' endorsement.

King says she is advertising the positions now, and the district will pay for training to try to attract new drivers who are not yet licensed.  She noted the district will save more than $25,000 in transportation costs this year because of the driver shortage.

"Bus drivers are the greatest people in the world and they love their work," King says.  "You couldn't do it if you didn't love it.  I think it's the hardest job in the district, but the people who do it love their kids and the kids love them.  They love the person who is their bus driver for 12 years.  It's a very rewarding experience."

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