As school bus driver shortage continues, CPS cannot transport some students with disabilities

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The new school year brings a renewed struggle over access to bus transportation.

An ongoing driver shortage means many Chicago Public School families have to find other ways to get their children to and from school again this year.

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The lack of service is especially tough for the many diverse students, and those with disabilities, in the district.

Twice a day, Amy Nathan drives from Albany Park to Lakeview to drop off and pick up her 7-year-old daughter, Dani, from Hawthorne Scholastic Academy.

"It takes at least 45 minutes to an hour, sometimes an hour and half when the traffic is terrible," Nathan said.

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It's time, Nathan, a working mom, doesn't have. Dani is on the spectrum. As a diverse learner, the Chicago Public Schools second-grader qualifies for bus service, but she never received it last year and again this year.

"Obviously, this is the national bus driver shortage that has not gone away," CPS COO Charles Mayfield said.

In addition , Mayfield said the district has lost a bus vendor. He said, while the district has worked hard at recruiting more drivers, CPS is transporting 20% more students this year, compared to the same time last year, but 1,900 students with disabilities remain without service.

"Right now what we are seeing is an increase in the number of IEPs and 504s that require transportation," Mayfield said.

Mayfield said, for reasons unknown to CPS, the district is seeing a 50% increase in busing requests for students with disabilities.

Heavy recruitment, changing bell times and stacking routes are all being done to fulfill more requests. Despite this, Mayfield cannot guarantee every student will have transportation this year. Students will get CTA cards instead.

Nathan said CPS must make busing a priority for diverse learners

"When the new budget came out last year, nobody was talking about busing. Everyone was talking about the loss of teachers or other kinds of support, but busing wasn't part of the equation," Nathan said.

While the priority continues to be providing transportation for students with disabilities, CPS cannot bus students to magnet or selective enrollment schools again this year.