>>> STUDENTS RETURN TO THE CLASS IN LESS THAN THREE WEEKS IF THEY COULD GET TO SCHOOL.

THE DISTRICT SAYS THEY CURRENTLY ONLY HAVE HALF OF THE BUS DRIVERS THEY NEED TO TRANSPORT STUDENTS QUALIFIED TO BE BUSED TO SCHOOL.

WHILE THEY HAVE A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE OF BUS DRIVER SINCE THE PANDEMIC PARENTS SAY IT IS A PERENNIAL PROBLEM.

CHARLES MAYFIELD THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER , THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> MORE THAN 17,000 STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE TO BE BUSED TO SCHOOL AND AT THE MOMENT YOU ONLY HAVE TRANSPORTATION LINED UP FOR 7000 OF THEM .

ABOUT HALF OF THE 1300 DRIVERS THAT YOU NEED, WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR THE SHORTAGE OF DRIVERS?

>> FIRST AND FOREMOST, THERE'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WITH THE PARENTS, IT WAS A TOUGH DECISION WE NEEDED TO MAKE AND IT'S NOT ONLY IN CHICAGO ISSUE BUT THIS IS HAPPENING ACROSS THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF AMERICA.

IN THIS CASE WITH THE BUS DRIVER SHORTAGE WE MADE CHANGES OVER TIME.

LAST YEAR WE OPTED TO CHANGE OUR BOARD POLICY WHERE WE WOULD PRIORITIZE OUR STUDENTS WHO NEED TRANSPORTATION WHO WERE THE MOST VULNERABLE , SOME OF OUR DIVERSE LEARNER STUDENTS AND STUDENTS ALSO IN TEMPORARY LIVING SITUATIONS.

SO IN THIS CASE IT WAS A TOUGH DECISION TO MAKE WHERE WE DECIDED WE COULD ONLY TRANSPORT THE MOST VULNERABLE OF OUR STUDENTS DUE TO THE BUS DRIVER SHORTAGE FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.

THE POPULATION IS MOSTLY RETIREES.

THAT POPULATION HAS NOT RETURNED TO THE MARKET IN THE POST-PANDEMIC TIME.

>> YOU SAID THE SCHEDULE IT SOUNDS LIKE ONE CHALLENGE WOULD YOU SAY THIS IS A MATTER OF PAY , NOT BEING ENOUGH TO ATTRACT DRIVERS?

IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE?

>> THE SCHEDULE IS ANOTHER IN A SENSE WHERE THERE IS THE MORNING ROUTE AND NIGHT ROUTE AND SOME ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT ESPECIALLY WITH THE OPTIONS THAT THEY HAVE WITH THE DRIVING SERVICES AND THEY DO NOT HAVE TO TRANSPORT STUDENTS AS WELL AS THE PAY SO IT'S ANOTHER CHANGE THAT WE MADE WHERE WE INCREASED PAY.

THE AVERAGE PAY RATE WAS $20-$25 SINCE LAST YEAR AND WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR VENDORS TO PROMOTE MORE HIRING .

IN OUR CASE WE ARE COMPLETELY OUTSOURCED SO WE HAVE VENDORS FOR THE SERVICES.

NOT ONLY BUS SERVICES BUT FOR PARENTS TRANSFER SERVICES AND VEHICLES THAT TRANSPORT STUDENTS AND WE WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND USING TAXES TO GET KIDS TO SCHOOL ON TIME SO THESE ARE THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE.

THIS IS STILL A CONTINUING PROBLEM THAT CONTINUES TO REQUIRE TOUGH DECISIONS AT THIS JUNCTURE.

>> WE SPOKE WITH ONE PARENT WHO HAS THREE CHILDREN AT THREE DIFFERENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

TWO OF HER CHILDREN QUALIFY TO BE TAKEN TO SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY HAVE IEP'S, INDEPENDENT EDUCATION PLANS .

HERE'S WHAT SHE SAID.

>> BPS HAS A PROBLEM WITH TRANSPORTING KIDS AND THEY ALWAYS HAVE.

EVERY YEAR CPS COMES UP WITH A NEW WAY TO TRY TO GET SYMPATHY OR EMPATHY FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S REALLY LIKE IN CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS SO THERE'S ALWAYS A REASON WHY THEY CANNOT SUCCESSFULLY TRANSPORT OUR CHILDREN BUT REALLY, IT IS FOR PLANNING.

THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO SAY IT.

THEY ARE NOT THINKING ABOUT HOW WE WILL GET OUR KIDS FROM ONE POINT TO ANOTHER.

EVERY YEAR THEY ACT LIKE THIS IS A SURPRISE.

>> THIS IS A TOUGH SPOT FOR YOU AND PARENTS SO HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO A FRUSTRATED PARENT WHO SAYS IT'S NOT SO MUCH ABOUT THE DRIVER SHORTAGE AS MUCH IS THIS IS ABOUT THE DISTRICT NOT PLANNING FOR THIS ENOUGH IN ADVANCE?

>> I KNOW THAT A TOUGH DECISION WAS MADE.

I UNDERSTAND THAT AND I SUPPOSE IT.

I KNOW THAT WE HAD SOME DEADLINES OUT THERE THAT WE WERE TRYING TO GET IN AS MANY TRANSPORTATION REQUESTS TO ASSESS THE MARKET.

IT'S DIFFICULT FOR US TO MAKE DECISIONS WITHOUT KNOWING HOW MANY STUDENTS NEED TRANSPORTATION.

WE GOT THE DEADLINE IN MAY.

THIS WAY WE CAN TRY TO PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR BUT NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE A DECISION .

WE EXTENDED THE DATE TO JULY 3.

WE ALSO HAD TRANSPORTATION TEAMS MAKING CALLS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE REQUEST WERE RECEIVED AND WHEN WE GOT TO A PLACE WHERE WE FELT LIKE THE POPULATION WAS ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION THEN WE HAD TO MAKE THESE TOUGH DECISIONS BECAUSE WE SIMPLY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH DRIVERS TO TRANSPORT OUR STUDENTS.

KEEP IN MIND, THE DRIVER POPULATION FLUCTUATES.

WE HAVE DRIVERS THAT DO NOT COME BACK FOR SUMMER.

THEY DON'T COME BACK FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, WE WERE AT RIGHT ABOUT HALF AND THAT WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH TO TRANSPORT THE STUDENTS AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE NUMBER OF THE INCREASES WE RECEIVED FOR THE DIVERSE MARKET POPULATION WHICH CONTINUES TO GROW FROM EVERY YEAR.

>> THEY ARE OFFERING A TRAVEL STIPEND UP TO 500 TRAVEL STIPEND UP TO $500 FOR THE PARENTS AND CHILDREN WHO QUALIFY.

IS $500 ENOUGH, WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE THE PARENTS?

>> THAT IS A GOOD OPTION WE OFFER TO PARENTS .

I'M GLAD YOU SHARED THAT BECAUSE THAT IS A PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT.

$500 PER MONTH IF THEY CHOOSE .

$25 A DAY FOR ATTENDANCE .

THE OTHER OPTION THAT WE ARE OFFERING FOR THE GENERAL EDUCATION OF FAMILIES IS THE PTA VENTURE CARD WHERE THEY WILL HAVE ONE FREE CARD FOR STUDENT AND THE PAST SO THEY COULD TRANSPORT THE TRANSPORTATION TO THE SCHOOL THAT THEY ARE ASSIGNED TO.

LASTLY, FOR THE DIVERSE LEARNER , THOSE WHO CHOOSE THE TRANSPORTATION , THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION FROM DAY ONE WE DID HAVE A CERTAIN CUTOFF DATE TO ROUTE TO THAT PARTICULAR POPULATION AND AS OF MONDAY IF WE DID NOT HAVE YOUR TRANSPORTATION REQUEST IN YOU WON'T BE THERE THE FIRST DAY BUT WE WILL PROVIDE YOU $25 PER DAY UNTIL YOU ARE ROUTED.

IT COULD TAKE UP TO TWO WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL TO GET ROUTED.