Wake Schools Expand Bus-Driver Recruitment and Reshape Disability Transportation

Wake County schools are continuing to recruit bus drivers and changing how contracted transportation serves students with disabilities. District data show hiring is slightly behind last year, and leaders say they are rebuilding trust with contract drivers. The district is slightly behind last year’s hiring pace while adding vendors and regionalizing contracted service for students with disabilities.

Wake County Public School System data show bus-driver hiring was slightly behind the same point last year. The district continued recruiting drivers before the main traditional-calendar start of school.

Wake is adding several contracted transportation vendors for students with disabilities. The district is regionalizing parts of that contracted service.

Leaders described the work as rebuilding trust with contract drivers after earlier operational problems. Transportation planning must cover permanent routes, substitute capacity, specialized vehicles, and student-specific service requirements.

Wake previously reported that all regular routes could be covered while still lacking a large reserve of substitute drivers. Driver shortages can produce combined routes, schedule changes, and reduced resilience when employees are absent.

Students with disabilities may have transportation requirements specified through individual education plans. Pre-opening hiring figures do not by themselves predict daily on-time performance once all schools are operating.

Driver and substitute counts at the start of the traditional calendar. On-time performance and complaints involving contracted disability transportation.

The district continued recruiting drivers before the main traditional-calendar start of school. Wake previously reported that all regular routes could be covered while still lacking a large reserve of substitute drivers. Leaders described the work as rebuilding trust with contract drivers after earlier operational problems.

Wake is adding several contracted transportation vendors for students with disabilities. Students with disabilities may have transportation requirements specified through individual education plans. Pre-opening hiring figures do not by themselves predict daily on-time performance once all schools are operating.