Parents and staff at Pinellas County Schools in Florida had to scramble to find transportation for their students after almost 75 school bus drivers called out of work last Friday afternoon, ABC Action News reported.
A robocall was sent to parents to inform them that the Florida district’s afternoon buses were delayed, due to a “significant increase” in absent drivers.
Routes had to be changed, and some parents left work early to pick up their children. One said that this is not the first problem she has had with the district-run transportation system.
“It’s frustrating, because I’m trying to coordinate their after-school programs and everything else based on that bus coming on time,” said another parent. She said she gave her daughters cell phones so they could update her on the status of their buses.
District officials said that 20 to 30 drivers generally call out every day and could not share a reason for the spike on Friday. They planned a recruitment event for this week and are also accepting applications online.
