KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Blue Valley Schools Board of Education voted Monday to eliminate the payrider school bus transportation program for middle and high school students beginning in the 2023-24 school year, citing a shortage in bus drivers in making the decision.
The change will impact a total of 764 students, including 567 middle school students and 197 high school students, according to the district. The change will not impact the elementary payrider program.
Students living 2.5 or more miles away from their assigned school are provided transportation through the district.
However, through the district's payrider school bus transportation program, families are able to pay for transportation.
Students in middle and high school who lived 1.5 to 2.49 miles away from their school qualified for the program.
Board members listened as a district official outlined a number of efforts made to recruit bus drivers.
Those included raising wages, allowing bus drivers to transfer up to 15 years of service time and offering paid training to drivers.
Among the effects of the bus driver shortage are students arriving late for school and getting home later after school.
