NORTHEAST – More than 10 bus routes were not able to run the first week of school in the Northeast School Division.
Many rural parents were left to figure out how to transport their children to school on the first day, partly because six new buses failed to arrive when promised by the supplier. The division plans, also, to order another nine new buses.
Meanwhile, repairing the buses in the existing fleet, finding drivers and qualified mechanics and warranty delays, means fewer buses on the road.
A letter dated Sept. 10 from Director of Education Stacy Lair said, “The Northeast school division transportation services has faced increasingly evident challenges over the past several years, due to several factors:
- Difficulty finding both regular route and casual drivers for bus routes.
- Delays in receiving replacement parts.
- Challenges recruiting journeyperson mechanics and/or apprentices.
- Delays in receiving new buses by their contracted delivery dates.
- Warranty work delays by vendor.
- Increased costs with the price of buses doubling since 2015-16
Despite these challenges, our current driver workforce continues to demonstrate dedication and professionalism.”
At the Sept. 17 NESD board meeting, Wanda McLeod, Superintendent of business administration report said the transportation services ordered six new school buses in March of 2024.
“The buses were promised to be delivered in June 2024; however, at Aug. 31, there were no deliveries"
A request for proposals (RFPs) for the nine new school buses will be issued shortly. The NESD will wait for the Ministry of Education’s approval of the budget before RFPs are issued. It is expected the new buses will be ordered in October 2024.
McLeod said, "The six school buses that were ordered in 2023-24 but now will be arriving in 2024-25, and the nine school buses will be included in the 2024-25 budget.”
Lair said, “Despite these challenges, our current driver workforce continues to demonstrate dedication and professionalism. During last year’s teacher job action, drivers frequently adjusted their schedules to accommodate the shortened school day, ensuring transportation services remained available for NESD families.”
Current employment opportunities can be found on our NESD website. https://www.nesd.ca/Careers/AvailablePositions/
