Kinzie Fielder is looking for school bus drivers at Jefferson County Public Schools near Denver, Colorado.
A short video posted by her mom Ester Fielder shows Kinzie explaining why school bus drivers are essential to the community and the role the school bus plays in her educational day.
Greg Jackson, the executive director of transportation and fleet services for JeffCo, told School Transportation News that the district is short 60 drivers overall. However, its operational number is 39 due to the use of additional measures to extend transportation services.
Jackson, who was named the 2019 Transportation Director of the Year by STN, explained that the additional measures consist of using contracted transportation companies, suspended routes and the use of public transit.
Related: Colorado District Utilizes Non-CDL Program to Help with School Bus Driver Shortage
Related: ‘Rising Star’ Talks Trial and Error of Chicago School Bus Routing
Related: NSTA’s Macysyn Discusses “Under-the-Hood” Waiver, Clean School Bus Program
CBSColorado reported that Kinzie, a 7-year-old in second grade, is one of the students who doesn’t have a school bus ride this year. The article reported that her mother Ester told her daughter that if she was really upset about it, she should do something about the situation.
Kinzie started making “help wanted” signs and wrote the request that her mom posted to YouTube.
