Seattle Public Schools to suspend 142 bus routes starting next week amid driver shortage

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) announced Friday it would suspend over 100 school bus routes starting next week due to a shortage of drivers.

Starting Monday, Oct. 18, the district will cut 142 of its approximately 600 bus routes due to a "significant decrease in available bus drivers," according to an update sent to parents Friday. The district does not own or operate the buses, and instead contracts a third-party vendor, First Student, which is currently dealing with the impacts of a nationwide driver shortage

"It’s our hope that the staffing shortages faced by First Student will be resolved as quickly as possible so we can resume – and improve upon – all bus service," said SPS Assistant Superintendent of Operations Fred Podesta. "In the meantime, we are actively looking for alternative solutions to this challenge, such as the expanded provision of ORCA transit passes for middle school students, and other modes of transportation."

The route suspensions are estimated to impact 6,740 students.

Bus services will not be suspended for the following students, according to the district:

- Students receiving special education services whose IEPs specify transportation as a related service.

- McKinney Vento (families experiencing homelessness) and foster students.

- Students with a 504 plan that includes transportation services.

- Schools that serve large numbers or high proportions of historically underserved students.

- Schools at interim sites.

The district said it is also preparing for even more driver shortages after the state's vaccine mandate goes into effect on Oct. 18. Under the mandate, all employees are required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or they could face "non-disciplinary dismissal" for failure to meet job requirements.

"Inconsistent bus service is disruptive at many levels and we’re doing our best to make sure that students can get to and from school safely and as close to on time as possible," wrote the district. "We want to emphasize that we are committed to ensuring that all students who need it have safe transportation to and from school."

To speed up hiring, SPS began offering cash bonuses of up to $3,000 for drivers who signed on with First Student starting in August.

Other transit services in the region are also experiencing delays and cancelations due to short staffing. Washington State Ferrries announced that it would reduce service on several routes starting Oct. 16 due to a lack of trained crew. King County Metro has also seen a series of early-morning route cancelations this week.