School Bus Driver Shortage Affecting Students Attendance

DeLand, FL – The new school year always sees issues with bus schedules and routes. This year, Volusia County School District officials say with 6,000 more students riding the bus than at the end of last year and 34 fewer drivers, it may take a little longer than usual.  Carl Persis, who’s been a teacher and a principal and is now the School Board District 4 representative, said that the wheresthebus.com app is very useful. "Put in your child’s alpha code and the route number of that bus that your child rides. The app is very user-friendly." Persis asks parents to bear with it as the first few weeks are always rough. He promises that it will eventually smooth out. As for the number of students, 345, who tested positive for COVID-19 during the first week of school, Persis is asking parents to do everything that they can to make sure their children are protected from the virus. That means making sure your child gets the vaccination if they’re eligible and if they are not, they should wear a mask. He said that if your child is sick or has been exposed to the virus, please keep them at home. There is a school board meeting scheduled for tomorrow. Persis said the possibility of a mask mandate is on the table while they continue to monitor the numbers. He said they should know the number of students that have been hospitalized for the virus in Volusia County before the meeting so that they can make an informed decision. At last report, Halifax Health has one 15-year-old patient. The number for AdventHealth is not available. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m.