Tuscaloosa City Schools transportation officials in Alabama are asking families for patience as new school bus drivers learn their routes and stop locations during the opening days of the school year, reported WBRC 6 News.

According to the news report, about 13 percent of the district’s 108 regular drivers are in their first year. The total does not include substitute drivers. Together, the drivers are expected to cover more than 130,000 miles across Tuscaloosa before the school year ends.

Transportation Director Tiny McCool said that the first day went well overall, although drivers encountered some problems as stops were added, and rookies became familiar with their routes. “As we’re adding stops, they weren’t quite aware of it yet,” McCool said via the article. “We have a tablet, but even with navigation you can still miss a road.”

No child was left behind on the first day, McCool added.

The transportation department reportedly prepared for opening day with an outreach effort it had not attempted in previous years. Staff members worked weekends and stayed late to contact every parent in the school system before classes began, McCool said.

“We called every parent in the school system to make sure their student knew the bus route, wanted a bus route, anything we could do, new addresses,” McCool told local news reporters.

Driver Phillip Farley said via the article that he felt confident in his routes after completing the second day of service. Farley, who has driven for three years, transports about 40 students daily and travels roughly 30 miles.

Farley said heavy first-day traffic created delays as more parents drove their children to school. Congestion near some campuses can put buses about 20 minutes behind schedule, he said.

“Of course, there are always things on the first day,” Farley said via the article. “When you’re going to some of the schools there’s a lot of traffic, and a lot of parents like to drive their kids on the first day.”

He advised students to arrive at their stops 10 minutes before the scheduled pickup time.

Written with the assistance of AI.

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Decatur City Schools in Alabama is taking its employee recruitment efforts directly into the community with a four-day hiring bus tour aimed at attracting teachers and school bus drivers ahead of the upcoming academic year, reported WAFF News.

The school district announced launches the initiative this week, sending a school bus wrapped with recruitment messaging to stop in Decatur, Athens and Huntsville. The mobile hiring event is designed to connect prospective employees with district leaders while making the application process more accessible.

At each stop, applicants will meet school principals, district administrators and human resources staff. Candidates can also participate in on-site interviews as part of the hiring process.

“We’re planning to take a Decatur City Schools bus to different locations as a way to get out in the community, be visible and hopefully recruit qualified teachers to come to Decatur City Schools and be part of our family,” a district representative said via the article.

Although certified teachers remain the primary focus of the employee recruitment campaign, the district is also seeking applicants for several support positions critical to school operations. Open roles include school bus drivers, paraprofessionals and child nutrition workers.

School Bus Driver, Employee Recruitment a Priority Nationwide

While nationwide school districts continue to face staffing challenges in multiple departments, particularly in transportation and instructional support. Many districts have adopted creative recruitment strategies, including hiring fairs, signing incentives and community outreach events, to fill vacancies before the start of the new school year.

By taking its hiring efforts on the road, Decatur City Schools said it hopes to increase visibility and reach candidates who may not otherwise attend a traditional job fair or visit the district office.

The employee recruitment bus operates from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Monday through Thursday. District officials encourage individuals interested in teaching or supporting student services to attend one of the scheduled stops to learn more about available positions and complete the interview process.

Written with the assistance of AI.

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