FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — A school bus driver shortage is impacting students getting to school on time in Fairfax County. Fairfax County still needs 121 bus drivers to get kids to class for the new school year.
The first day of school brought more traffic, more kids and more excitement to Fairfax County. But in one Lincolnia neighborhood, some said buses were delayed more than 30 minutes.
"I'm excited for the first day of school but then [the bus] doesn't come," one middle school student told WUSA9. "I don't want to be late because teachers don't believe me."
A family friend was forced to make two rounds to drop kids off.
The bus for high school students at the same stop arrived exactly on time. But the day was off to a stressful start. The first day saw more than 170 delays, ranging from 10 to 45 minutes. That's out of more than 1,100 routes with Fairfax County Public Schools.
Most of the delays are blamed on scheduling, so-called run or route coverage and bus breakdowns, according to a new dashboard tracking bus delays in the school system.
On day two, 25 buses were delayed Tuesday morning.
Earlier this month, WUSA9 spoke to a school administrator with FCPS who told us they are doing everything they can to fill the gap. That includes competitive wages, and reducing the age requirement to 19 years old.
"These are some of the initiatives we're working on to make sure we remain the top choice," said Paul D'Andrade, FCPS's Assistant Director for Transportation Services.
Bus driver shortages have become a nationwide problem. Parents can keep track of any bus delays by signing up for the notification system, or downloading the school district's mobile app.