Skip to main content
Clear icon
93º

Orange County school buses running normal after concerns of driver shortage, district says

Parents asked to drive students to school if possible

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.

[TRENDING: News 6 anchor Matt Austin fires back at trolls in defense of his daughters | Brevard County Sheriff’s Office K-9 gives birth to litter of 10 puppies | Become a News 6 Insider]

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.

Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily:


Recommended Videos