ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County Public Schools said a school bus driver shortage did not materialize Friday despite concerns that prompted a recorded message to parents Thursday.
Following Hurricane Ian, the district announced that Friday, Oct. 28, would become a hurricane make-up day instead of a student holiday/teacher non-work day.
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However, the district stated in a recording that it expected a school bus driver shortage on the make-up day, as drivers would need to make several runs, causing some pick-ups to be late.
The recording asked parents to be patient and — if possible — drive their students to school on Friday.
However, a school district spokesman said there ended up being no major delays for bus drivers, and there were an average number of absences so far — about 10% of the district’s drivers.
The district said it still needs about 100 drivers, and it’s holding job fairs in November and December. You can find out how to apply for a job on the OCPS website.
Previously, district officials announced seven additional hurricane make-up dates for the 2022-23 school year, which are as follows:
- Nov. 9
- Dec. 7
- Jan. 18
- Feb. 1
- Feb. 15
- March 22
- May 10
These seven no-early-dismissal Wednesdays will satisfy the remaining instructional minutes that were lost due to the four-day closure caused by Ian, according to the district.
For more information on closures and make-up dates, visit the OCPS website here.
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