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Yuma school districts need bus drivers, mechanics
With Yuma Union High School District resuming in-person learning March 1 and Yuma School District One following suit March 8, the district’s shared transportation consortium Yuma Schools Transportation Center (YSTC) is in need of additional bus drivers and mechanics, as the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the volume of individuals filling those positions.
According to YSTC Director of Transportation Ron Schepers, the consortium receives upward of 30 applications in a typical year; this year, it has garnered about a third of that.
“It has been challenging,” Schepers said. “Not that we aren’t looking forward to getting the kids back in the classroom and doing our job to safely get them to school on time; it has been challenging for us as far as keeping our staff numbers up.”
Without additional drivers, the consortium is facing the likelihood of “double running” – using the same bus and driver to transport students on multiple bus runs. If there aren’t enough drivers available to cover every bus route on a given day, the students who are unable to be transported will commence their school day online.
“We’re hopeful that we’re not going to have to do that and have that impact, but that’s one of the things we’re preparing for just in case,” Schepers said. “Even with (the availability of) vaccines right now, it’s still undetermined how this is going to affect our workforce and our students. There’s still a lot of unknown out there. We’re trying to prepare for as much of that as we can.”
Prospective drivers do not need to hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL) – or past experience, for that matter – to apply. Once hired, YSTC will provide all of the necessary training to get them credentialed and on the road.
For mechanics, at least two years’ experience is preferred. Individuals hired for those roles will receive the same training as the bus drivers; should the consortium be short on drivers one day, the mechanics will be able to fill in and alleviate that strain.
Applications are accessible online at www.yuma.org/Employment under “Job Openings.” Applicants are encouraged to contact the YSTC office at (928) 502-8840 with any questions they may have about the process.
To qualify, individuals must have a high school diploma, a level one fingerprints clearance card and participate in random drug and alcohol testing.
“Anyone who’s interested should be applying,” Schepers said, noting that the pandemic has also posed an impact to the timeline in which trainees receive their state-issued credentials. In one case, a newly hired bus driver who completed their training in May didn’t receive their credentials until January, which delayed their ability to take on a route.
“There’s been a lot of that from the pandemic – different organizations and agencies closed or postponing or needing to change appointment times,” Schepers said. “They get kind of ‘quarantined’ themselves where they can’t travel to take care of things outside of their department and that’s put a lot of impact on getting people trained and on the road.”
According to Schepers, the same COVID-conscious protocols previously implemented across the consortium’s 180-bus fleet will still be in effect when the districts resume in-person learning. A face mask advisory remains posted on the door of each bus; without a mask, students aren’t able to ride.
Between groups of students, staff will continue to disinfect high-touch surfaces like the seats and bus railing. Each bus will get a “deep clean” at the end of the day, employing the use of electrostatic sprayers to ward off any lingering germs.
According to Schepers, social distancing between passengers will be enforced as long as it’s feasible.
“The thing that’s most important in helping stop the spread of COVID-19 is the wearing of the face masks,” Schepers said. “The face masks are definitely going to be required for our employees and our students. Distancing on the bus, even according to the state’s guideline, is done when it’s feasible. As feasible on the bus, we are going to maintain as much distancing as possible.”