An email was sent to Metea Valley students on Oct. 17. Students were notified by Amy Coryell regarding changes to bus times for certain routes, effective Oct. 22.
Students widely use the school bus system. In recent years, the bus driver shortage has created an overcrowding effect among bus systems across the United States, so much so that certain bus routes are being combined due to spacing. Spacing is a common issue for students in terms of comfort and having an enjoyable bus experience. Time changes within bus schedules create timing issues for students by causing them to rush to catch their bus or strategize to find ways to be comfortable during the commute. With students being relocated from their usual bus stops to ones that are nearly seven minutes away from their original routes, to find seats. These schedule changes make buses increasingly overcrowded and cause a normal commute to school to become a more difficult process.
“It was very cramped,” senior Juliana Gomez said. “Multiple times a week, people had to either sit on the floor or cram into seats by threes.”
With these time changes, transportation leaders like Mr. Walpole and Ron Johnson worked to create new bus routes that aided routes where buses were most overcrowded. These changes still cause minor problems in other fields, however, mainly due to the fact that there is still an ongoing bus driver shortage throughout the United States. This means that more drivers are being hired but are underpaid for their service. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the bus driver shortage is a result of low pay, as bus drivers make 43% less than the median weekly wage for all workers in the United States. This issue with the bus service creates a personal inconvenience for students trying to make it to their buses on time.
“It definitely does cause more problems on the bus. I have to go to two bus stops earlier than mine in the morning, walk 10 minutes just to get a seat,” sophomore Caden Waldor said.
Without a way for students to travel to school, it can create commuting issues that make students disinterested and increase the amount of absenteeism seen within the school. This is something that Metea Valley is looking to steer away from with its L.I.F.E. initiatives and increased attention on attendance policies. According to a school transportation report by HopSkipDrive, a rideshare service for vulnerable groups, 21% of schools throughout the United States say that transportation is the cause of chronic absenteeism among students due to the limiting travel factor forced on students, causing students to become less interested in coming to school on a day-to-day basis.
All students deserve a peaceful ride to school without having to worry about packing three to a seat or having to plan early to find a place to relax in the morning. Comfort is a big factor in how students respond to the school environment, and without having a comfortable morning, the chances of students having a more positive experience throughout the day could diminish.
