HOUSTON, Texas — A frustrated father of a Fulshear High School freshman is raising concerns about the inconsistent bus schedule that leaves his daughter waiting for hours after her school dismissal. Trey Giglio acknowledges the nationwide driver shortage but insists that immediate action is required to address this issue.
Giglio’s daughter frequently notifies him about the tardiness of her school bus, which causes her to wait for an extended period after her classes end at 3:40 p.m. On numerous occasions, she remains stranded at the school for up to an hour after the final bell.
“The inconsistency is the biggest issue right now,” Giglio emphasized.
The delays result in his daughter arriving home late in the evening, often in darkness. Giglio recounted a recent incident when she didn’t arrive home until 6:00 p.m., highlighting the need for a resolution.
“Her time is spent between school and homework and nothing else in the extra. There’s no extra time for her at the end of the day,” Giglio lamented. Fulshear Athletics broke this story.
A Lamar CISD bus advertising open driver positions sits alongside the road near the high school, underscoring the severity of the driver shortage issue.
In response to these concerns, the district acknowledged the ongoing problems and outlined their plans for improvement:
“The bus driver shortage is a nationwide issue that we (and other districts) have been battling for a while now. Being a fast-growth district, we are transporting 3,000 more students this year than last year. And, being a two-tiered system, doesn’t help. We have several comeback routes causing students to either be late to school or arrive home much later in the evening than we prefer. …all because we can’t hire enough drivers to cover all of the routes that we need.”
The district’s statement went on to explain that they are transitioning to a four-tiered system to address the driver shortage problem effectively. This change aims to eliminate the need for some of the existing routes and reduce the district’s reliance on limited drivers.
Giglio expressed the urgency of finding a solution, urging the district to engage with parents and devise a consistent plan to address the issue, even considering carpooling arrangements if necessary using printed cards.
However, his daughter remains skeptical about the impact of the new system on her commute and suggests that the district should prioritize hiring more drivers and increasing incentives to alleviate the ongoing transportation challenges.
