Pulaski County schools say driver shortage leaves routes strained; parents press for bus tracking and faster communication

Mady Nichols, the district's newest director for transportation, told the Pulaski County Special School District board that the department is short roughly 20 drivers and is operating under strain.

"As you know ... we are 20 drivers short," Nichols said, and described a roster of 378 routes served by 94 drivers and a fleet of 205 buses. She said driver recruitment is impeded by competition from neighboring employers and a churn in applicants: "the number of drivers applied in '24-'25 school year were 45. Only we retained 8 of those drivers. ... Number of drivers applied 25, 26 was 39, and we retained 5 of those." She said three new hires were in training and expected to finish soon.

The shortage, Nichols and other staff said, is interacting with attendance and activity trips to produce afternoon pinch points. Nichols summarized key figures for the board: 378 routes, 94 drivers (88 regular, 6 subs), three in training, and roughly 20 drivers needed to run all routes as designed.

Parents who spoke during the public comment period earlier flagged the same problem. Florence Wiley urged the board to address bus shortage and to ensure resources reach Harris Elementary. Michelle Prejota Wires, speaking for Sylvan Hills parents, said communications had improved with district staff but cautioned: "it does seem like it is still just kind of a Band Aid, and it is on the verge of becoming another catastrophe." She said she was attending in person to press the point.

Board members and staff discussed pay, training and retention strategies. Nichols said starting pay had been raised previously to about $18.10 per hour but competitors raised wages higher: "last year ... we were paying $14.50 an hour. ... we made a change in the spring ... to raise our rate to 18.10. Well, no sooner we raise ours to 18.10, our competitors raise theirs to $22.50." She and other administrators described a new training reimbursement agreement. Nichols said the district would ask new hires who receive paid CDL training to sign a contract that prorates repayment of training costs if they leave early; she described the training‑recovery amount as $2,500 and said it is prorated over the initial employment period.

Board members pressed short‑term and operational fixes. Several asked whether the district could pay for CDL and passenger endorsements and then bind hires with a contractual repayment schedule if they depart. Nichols said the district is implementing contracts and that the training agreement and repayment formula are in use for people currently in pipeline.

Parents and board members repeatedly raised communications and real‑time tracking. Board member Potter and others said families reported long waits for phone answers at the Northwest bus complex and late or missing app notifications. Nichols confirmed the district uses Transfinder software and said the district has not purchased certain add‑ons and that many buses lack the sensors required for parent tracking. "We have the software. We don't have the add ons to that particular software," Nichols said. She and operations leadership asked for funding to add GPS and a parent app; they said the district prefers to add modules to its existing Transfinder license rather than install a separate product.

Administrators described operational tradeoffs: some buses now serve both elementary and secondary stops because driver shortfalls forced consolidation of routes; older buses without air conditioning contribute to driver absences and to parent complaints; and activity trips (athletics, band, trips) remove vehicles during peak route times. Nichols said drivers' average age is about 55 and that retention has been a problem.

Several board members suggested near‑term process fixes: a standard protocol for drivers to confirm no student is left at a stop, improved dispatcher staffing, a call‑roll system that re‑rings until answered, and routine follow‑up when parents cannot reach dispatch. Nichols said dispatchers and radios are in place but that Northwest is particularly busy; she agreed to follow up with IT on phone‑routing and with the communications office on missed notification reports. Superintendent Sen and operations staff said they would provide a cost estimate for the Transfinder add‑on and for proximity/badge scanning technology that can confirm when each child boards and leaves a bus.

Why it matters: the shortages affect daily safety, timeliness and parent trust. Board members repeatedly framed the problem as both a personnel/compensation issue and a systems problem requiring investment in technology and clearer operational procedures.

What comes next: staff committed to return with cost estimates for Transfinder add‑ons and badge/proximity or scanning options, a review of dispatch staffing and phone‑routing, and a status update on the training/reimbursement contract for CDL candidates. Nichols and operations staff said they would also share a short document for parents explaining where to call and what to expect when a bus is late.

Ending: The board asked staff to prioritize short‑term communications fixes while pursuing longer‑term recruitment and fleet upgrades; several members said they would press for funding in upcoming budget discussions.