[email protected]

On Friday, January 7, and email was sent to South Washington County Schools parents regarding a school bus driver shortage. SWC, like other businesses around the area, is experiencing a shortage of available, skilled workers. With the spike in the normal cold and flu for the Minnesota winter and the need to make sure those illnesses are not COVID, along with the recent rise in COVID cases, folks are needing to stay home from work much longer than a few years ago. Those extended absences are putting a strain on the workforce all over, but especially SWC school buses.

Please Prepare: Bus Driver Shortage Now Impacting So-WashCo Schools Dear South Washington County Schools Community, For the first time during the pandemic, we had to cancel several bus routes today due to staff illness resulting in a bus driver shortage.

South Washington County Schools (SoWashCo Schools) is now at a critical stage that will result in multiple cancellations or delays for bus routes in the mornings and afternoons. Families will be notified by phone and text, with as much notice as possible, if their child’s morning or afternoon route is expected to be impacted.

We are in an unfortunate situation in which we must ask for your assistance:

• Please create a plan to provide your own transportation to get your child to or from school in the event you are notified of a morning or afternoon route cancellation

• A route cancellation occurs when no drivers are available

• Ensure your child is dressed appropriately for winter weather in the event of a route delay in the morning or after school

• A route delay occurs when a bus driver completes their regular route, and then has enough time to complete another route that does not have a driver Please pick up your child as soon as possible if a bus cancellation occurs after school. Staff will supervise students at school until each child can be picked up in the event of a delay or cancellation.

On a daily basis, our mechanics and transportation administrators have been serving as substitute drivers. We continue to recruit new drivers and have excellent benefits. Pay starts at $20 an hour and increases to $22.45/ hr after 75 days of employment. Please click here to learn more and apply.

We understand bus delays and cancellations will affect families differently. We pride ourselves on providing safe and efficient transportation for students and apologize that we are in this situation.

Sincerely, Dan Pyan, Director of Finance and Operations Drivers are needed and SWC is ready to train. A clean driving record is needed, and you must be able to acquire a Department of Transportation Health Card for driving any vehicle over 10,001 pounds. Call 651425-6300 for more information.