Between 7 percent and 11 percent of the Richmond County school system's bus drivers are tardy or absent daily -- a major cause of bus route delays, members of the Richmond County Transportation Council were told Thursday.
The information spurred council member and school board Vice President Alex Howard to call for a fix, adding that a more stringent policy might be needed.
"It's obvious why buses are late," he said after hearing that between 14 and 20 drivers out of a total of 180 are tardy or absent every day, causing delays as some must double up on routes. "I'm going to bring that up at the next (board) meeting."
The problem, though, isn't unique to Richmond County. Columbia County school Transportation Director Dewayne Porter said that of the approximately 210 certified drivers he oversees, 5 to 10 percent are absent daily.
"Richmond County is in the same boat as we are," he said, noting that the only difference is that Columbia County doesn't have as big of a problem with tardiness.
As a past president of a state transportation association, Mr. Porter said he' has found the problem persists in many school systems, adding "they all experience the same exact thing. It's an industry problem."
Richmond County interim schools Transportation Director Jimmie Wiley said drivers call in for everything from being sick to having a family emergency. Mr. Porter said he also has people call in for a wide variety of illnesses, noting that a couple of his drivers had strokes this year.
Mr. Wiley said that because his staff is already thin, being in need of 10 to 12 more drivers, there's no available backup for those who call in. Mr. Porter tells a similar story, saying they have 10 substitute driver vacancies. He and Mr. Wiley say filling such positions has proved difficult because it's hard to find quality applicants who meet requirements and pass background checks.
Mr. Wiley said he'd like to review all drivers' absentee records to see whether there are any patterns that need addressing.
Mr. Porter said he also will focus on this issue. "I have decided this year to take a closer look at it when it comes to evaluation time," he said.
Mr. Wiley said a bus driver who calls in sick and is out three days in a row or the day before or after a holiday is required by policy to show a doctor's note immediately upon returning to be paid for that sick day.
Sallie Thomas, a council member and Richmond County bus driver, told the transportation council on Thursday that late or absent drivers have tried calling in as early as 5 or 5:30 a.m. but "they (the phones) aren't being answered."
Mr. Wiley said an employee tasked with answering the driver emergency hot line is in the office at 5:30 a.m. but can get tied up with other duties because the office doesn't have enough workers.
The council recommended installing an answering machine to allow drivers to leave messages. Mr. Wiley, though, said that could encourage drivers to call in sick because they wouldn't have to explain their actions to an actual person.
"It's going to make the problem worse," he said.
Reach Preston Sparks at (706) 828-3851 or preston.sparks@augustachronicle.com
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Let me get this straight. We have unemployment. We have vacancies in jobs. What if the school system were to pay for training for said potential employees with the promise of working for the system for a specified amount of time? People would have a job and a need would be filled.
not even necessary. all we want is equipment that works and to not be overloaded with unexpected routes and the facts that YOUR kids are rude , crude, and nasty is basically what we want. If you worked on the Paper line at your factory and you didnt know from day to day if you were to operate the napkin equipment or the paper towel equipment you also would not look forward to being at work. You would keep the job but the whole time look for something else.
Let's face it,, this job is nothing like it was 40 years ago...Back then if you messed up you got a "whupping" when you got home,,now they have to have cameras on board to keep the kids from hurting each other..Give the job to retired policemen & pay them more..They probably could pass the test..
Nobody in their right mind wants to drive a school bus. The hours are terrible and the kids and parents are horrendous.
dear atasugua, it's not what ms. cain sez...from her posts the main emphasis is on education...she and the other board members "really, really" care...LOL. the sad and pathetic part about her and the other board members is that they actually believe they are doing a good job...on other thing is if you disagree with her then she will attack that person and make it seem that the person criticizing her job performance is denigrading you, the teachers, parapro and the other support staff, when in actuality it is her, the poor job she does is when needs and should be criticize...atsuqua13, i commend you for the job you, the teachers, parapros and all other on the frontline of the education system...you are constantly sent into battle mentally, emotionally and physically prepared to do the best job, but you are not supported in any way shape or form either from a moral, financial or emotional stand point by ms. cain or other members of the board.
the expect and demand top notch performance from you and your peers but refuse to make sure you are well compensated for what you do, protected and backed up by rulles allowing you to remove all disruptive, violent, and disrepectful student, failing to insure you have equipment that works then claim there isn't enuff money the the necessitites of education but there is PLENTY MONEY AVAILABLE TO BUILD FOOTBALL STADIUMS, B-BALL GYMNASIUMS, RUNNING TRACKS FOR SCHOOLS with low test scores, once deemed the 2nd worst school in the state, low graduation rates and consistently fails to meet ayp. congrats to you atsuqua13 and the job you do under the adverse conditions that ms. cain and the other delusional members of the board put you, teachers, parapros and other support staff allow you to be subjected to on a regular basis. i pray that you find something better
SeenitB4@6:33am-Richmond County buses dont have cameras.We should.It would make us feel safer.For the drivers who dont wont cameras,thats because they know, it will see what your doing wrong.
I would say the morale for bus drivers is very low right now.How would you feel if you had to work for free,have your pay cut?
Discipline for the students from the principals is a JOKE.Tell me why must students in middle school still get up to three write ups before you put them off the bus??? When you give the students in house when they do something wrong on the bus,How does that help the driver?When you the parents dont teach your child to be on time,How are you helping with the problem?
For Mr Wiley to say he needs to review(ALL)drivers absentee records to see if there is a pattern that needs addressing,I would say (YA-THANK).You have a select few who just dont care.
I dont think they need more people in the office.You have more office help then anybody in the past four years.Maybe they need to stop all that personnel business they do in the office.They need to work with the drivers.
hey ms. cain...have you seen the last three posts from Tots????, gee i guess this i another person who is running down the school, teachers, parapros and other frontline employees. ms. cain why don't you give Tots the same lame explainations you tried to give to me....ms. cain, Tots asked you a question(the 3rd entry)..and CAN we expect an answer???..probably not
Tots it's a D*&M SHAME you are not going to get an answer from ms. cain...she was very talkative yesterday the way she was "running off at the mouth" she made it seem like everything is perfect in the land of the RICHMOND COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM..Tots, thank you for bringing up very good points..it's a shame you wont get answers but as long as we keep the ineptitute in the public domain maybe, just maybe it will do some good
I will say this about the office,please continue to call your drivers by their names and bus numbers.Makes them sound like real people,not just a number.See little things like that can help.Work with your drivers not against them.
Sounds to me like some of these drivers are taking advantage of the fact they are short handed and feeling secure enough to be able to be tardy and absent so much. Fire them! That's the only way they will get the picture. You may be short, but if they are already causing problems you don't need them. Either that, or make them fully aware you have those problem drivers on a list and the first time you get more drivers they are the first ones that WILL be fired.
OK!Transportation says bus drivers are tardy or absent daily.YA just like any other job.As for drivers being tardy-first is it because the driver comes to work late? How often do you allow this ?Is it because the driver has to go find a bus to drive? If you have a driver who is always late,Mr Wiley you need to find out WHY? Maybe you need to ride the route with the driver.Take them off that route see if a different driver does better.MAYBE the problem is the way you have them running the route.
I think its kind of funny they had someone in the office BEFORE 5:30 today.That hasnt happened in a very long time.You caint say you have someone there to answer the phones before 5:30.
It is no wonder drivers occasionally lay out. Rowdy students that school administration or parents will not discipline, over crowded buses causing safety issues, administrators who will not support drivers, transportation personnel who will not support drivers, parents who always blame drivers for their children's behavior, teachers who reward students with candy before they get on the bus, transportation directors who create a poor work environment, and pay being taken away from drivers. Mr. Transportation Director, you say the % of drivers out is a system wide issue. Is getting a raise to $77000,00 a year and off almost every Friday while taking pay away from drivers who make less than $16,000.00 a year, lying to drivers, harassing them, threatening to fire them, filling their buses beyond suggested capacity, and being mean especially to female drivers a system wide issue or is it just you?
TakeAstand@12:29-That sounds like a good idea.We all know they have certain drivers who call in sick if their toe nail hurts.Look around see what drivers have been out this week.Ask yourself does it not look like the same drivers,who are out every few weeks.
g dog you hit the nail on the head ...thanx we have to let folks know why the job we do is never enough.
g-dog, that's a very good question that should be asked to the the "esteemed" school board member ms. cain...she was very talkative yesterday insinuating tht any time you criticize her it is knocking you guys.....it's a shame you have to deal with such horrible and ill-mannered children and it is so difficult to get the bad a$$ kids off you bus for the sake of the good kids...and all ms cain can do is to make an attempt to justify why schools with low graduation rates(all the traditional high schools), poor test scores, consistently failing to meet ayp, and low graduation rates are more deserving to get athletic venues, but when it comes to increase in pay they claim there is no money available, and then expect you to do you job with low pay, the lack of an additional set of eyes of which to watch the children, and faulty buses then turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to your concerns/complaints..thank you for all you do.
The amount of tardiness and absenteeism is just plain sad but I mean seriously by now you can't figure out you need to have a dedicated call off number with an answering machine? Another highly qualified government employee.....
atsuqua13, you have an ardent supporter from this corner and every chance i get i will be including your plight into my constant hammering of ms. cain and her bunch of "merry men" who believe in theri own little insulated world that everything is just "hunky dorry"
Duh, well the headline problem is easy to resolve--it is called terminate for cause!
Thanks Tots, I have them every once in a while. Someone who works with these people should mention that, that way they can put in a form of discipline they understand without cutting themselves shorter than they already are. They need to look st the frequency of absences and reasons. I'm sure plenty of them feel secure with the shortage that they can be late and absent unreasonably.
No kidding this shoudn't even be an issue. If 14-20 are late or absent everyday, then fire 14-20 bus drivers. Personally I would hate that job, but there are a lot of people looking for work. Kind of stupid to be a bad employee at any job right now.
LOL..just WHO are these drivers?......
Eh, I need a job, where do I apply?
you bus drivers choose to be drivers so quit complaining! get a real job!
Tots Im sorry you don't have cameras,,I know it could make a difference..Any one doing their job would want them. We appreciate everything you do to make it safe for the children. It should be required that each parent spend 1 day on the bus ride each year with their child..I bet things would change,,they would at least appreciate what you do everyday.