SUMTER, S.C. — Late buses and lack of communication is what some parents say they’re seeing throughout Sumter School District.
News 19 told you about when the district formed a transportation committee back in March to address these issues. Now, we’re checking in to see what progress has been made and what parents say still needs to be fixed.
Brandon Miller stands at the bus stop with his two teenage daughters every morning waiting for their school bus. Sometimes he says that bus is late. Other times, he says it never even comes.
“Basically, it's like there's no communication with the bus drivers,” Miller shares.
Miller says his daughters Jordan and Skylar have been both late to school in the mornings and his oldest daughter is sometimes late getting to her job after school because of late buses.
“As a single father and as being a widower of two girls, it’s very important because I have to work. My job works around my schedule, but when they are not on the bus, and they can't get on the bus, I have to stay home and be with them,” Miller explains. “So luckily it hasn't gotten to that yet. But if this keeps persisting, but I may have to miss work and if I’m missing work, I have to feed my family.”
And his children miss out on learning, which School Board Trustee and the head of the district’s transportation committee Jeff Zell says is harmful.
“That needs to be protected really at all cost is primary instructional time. And that means if our kids aren't in the seat at the time they need to be, then we're not doing them any justice,” Zell shares. “And so it's going to have an overall detrimental effect on education. So if we can get this fundamental process right, I see it having much larger implications in improvement.”
In the past 8 months since the committee was formed, Zell says the district has addressed one of the biggest needs.
“Staffing is the issue, will always be the issue,” Zell explains. “We were losing people. We weren't replacing the people that were retiring, you know, quitting, whatever. And so I'm, I can say, happily today, that I believe that we have stopped the hemorrhaging. We've replaced the loss and so now the goal is how do we get new people in to fill those vacancies so that we can have an operational bus transportation system.”
Zell says the district now has 32 vacancies — an improvement from the 45 open positions in March — which he credits to raising the salary to $18 an hour. He also says the district is hoping to hire a transportation director by January.
When it comes to improving communication about bus locations both between drivers and with parents, Zell tells me the district is working to further develop its new app and has purchased radios and tablets that will be installed in the buses to help with “route optimization.”
“Please continue to be patient because they've been patient and probably far too long. They've probably given us a lot more leeway than we probably deserve. But, you know, we weren't focused entirely on this subject until last year,” Zell says about his message to parents. “We need the community to tell us where the problems are, and continue and even if they sound like a broken record, keep it coming because we've got to put the resources and attention where it’s needed.”
Feedback coming from parents like Miller who spoke with Zell, and says he’s hopeful about the future.
“The kids need to get to school on time. It’s their education, it’s their future. And as parents I know you have to work, you can't afford to miss off. Just be persistent,” Miller says. “Change won't be immediate. But change will take some very persistent and more parents like myself coming forward calling the school, putting pressure on the school and staying in touch with board members like Mr. Jeff Zell.”
In the transportation meeting, the district also says it will be getting electric buses from the South Carolina Department of Education next year.