Framingham schools report ongoing bus delays; district reports progress hiring drivers for July in‑house service
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Summary
Transportation officials reported persistent afternoon on-time issues and low driver counts Feb. 26 but said 35 bus drivers and 19 monitors have applied to work in the district’s planned in‑house fleet, with interviews scheduled in March and a goal of 65 drivers by July 1.
Framingham Public Schools reported Feb. 26 that morning bus on-time performance is stronger than afternoon performance, but overall service levels remain below contract expectations while the district works to transition to an in-house transportation operation July 1.
District Executive Director of Finance and Operations Lincoln Lynch said the contract expects 77 drivers and 18 monitors per day; during the Jan. 15–Feb. 13 reporting period, driver counts averaged around 53 and afternoon on-time rates at some schools dipped near 60%, with several schools below 70% for arrivals within 10 minutes after the final bell.
"We continue to face issues," Lynch said, summarizing passenger complaints and ongoing efforts to place students on buses. Athletic-trip staffing was limited: out of 73 requested trips during the reporting period, 62 were accommodated by the vendor and 11 required district 15-passenger buses.
Transportation staff said hiring for the in-house program is underway: 35 bus-driver applicants (most currently employed by vendors) and 19 bus-monitor applicants have applied; the district is scheduling interviews in early March. "We're more than half already," Lynch said of the driver goal, adding the district's target is 65 drivers for the in-house operation.
Committee members praised the hiring progress while urging caution: several members noted that applicants must clear eligibility checks and complete licensing before they can be counted as active drivers. Member Adam Freudberg called for transparency and an updated public dashboard documenting application-to-hire conversion and outreach efforts.
Superintendent and staff encouraged community recruitment; members discussed targeted advertising, MassHire outreach and neighborhood recruitment to increase the applicant pool and retention once drivers are employed by the district.
The committee received the transportation report and asked staff to continue daily monitoring, to provide updated metrics before the next meeting and to publish hiring updates for public review.