In a recent government meeting, officials discussed the current state of driver staffing and ridership for the upcoming school year. The district reported an impressive 85% driver retention rate year over year, despite facing challenges such as two retirements. To address staffing needs, the district has hired two new drivers who will begin on the first day of school, along with a ranking driver who is set to start training soon.

Currently, the district has five contracted drivers with First Student, but plans to reduce this number once the new hires complete their training. A significant concern raised during the meeting was the competitive wage landscape for drivers. Neighboring school districts are offering hourly wages ranging from $15.91 to $43.25, with OPS, a new contractor, conducting a hiring blitz and offering wages between $25 and $28.90 per hour. This competition has resulted in over 200 job openings for drivers within a 15-mile radius of Bennington.

On the ridership front, as of August 6, the district had registered 872 riders, which has since increased to 901. Officials anticipate that the number could exceed 1,000 as they believe there are still about 100 potential sign-ups. Historically, the district has maintained a stable average participation rate of 21% over the past five years, which aids in future forecasting. However, it was noted that special education ridership has decreased from last year's peak, with only 62 registrations currently compared to 71 last year.