[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6626380,"mediaKeyId","2753594-4d076e924dac45cd596784ed2e908df3","parentId",2753594,"title","Harrisonburg faces driver shortage, long student supervision times; city rolls out cohort training and overhire plan","audioSeconds",1126,"startMs",1828330,"endMs",2954540,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2753594-4d076e924dac45cd596784ed2e908df3&start=1828&end=2954","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2753594-4d076e924dac45cd596784ed2e908df3/thumbnail_1828330.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6626380/Virginia/Harrisonburg-faces-driver-shortage-long-student-supervision-times-city-rolls-out-cohort-training-and-overhire-plan","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626380-f17702c2ec4900f688ef37f7e022c7e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1773078667&Signature=dUmPxfHlu~F2rUySU1jyM75oeqgyAT8sHDEYtLdUqu0ssEqSv1KkU7hRE60Gnfj7y8vkpMlBp3flrbvRMKKEFMFpFfe7mqhOACdtH-s63I6GuXPh2qIpjr7Tyh2tZ3ZDhfc3LYl0sTvDtcYX~Ur7A7-3KBHhAHsUhoGgvbUy4W~q3V56~xXMnKj4yUgODo1Ij9x3EGpJbwVTMmf3V8sE1YB8lwnEPCADI2BlOjsPYBCfkl~J1DDswTRnBs2ubj8O1NgugwiD10QHzBGits65Wa7KV~6ZiS0hGXPEriPnOQtRuz7HzldK~TazUH-7DmwtTaeW0Z6hFN8dpXqBVS4AcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Harrisonburg","date","2025-03-24T00:00:00Z","article","Teachers, principals and union representatives told the City and School Liaison Committee on March 24 that a shortage of school bus drivers is disrupting field trips, imposing long non-instructional supervision on elementary teachers and creating extended bus commute times for young students.

\"It has been very difficult to secure buses this year for field trips... we've had to reschedule our eighth grade trip... due to a shortage of available buses,\" a middle-school teacher's note read, quoted by the superintendent.

Cody Polk, president of the Harrisonburg Education Association, said teachers are experiencing burnout because \"second load runs are required because of an insufficient number of bus drivers.\" Elementary principals told the committee that, because of the routing sequence, elementary students are often in school buildings long before instructional time begins and remain on buses for extended periods in the afternoon while second runs complete the route.

\"When the doors open... instructional hours start at 9:10. That's a full half hour that elementary school teachers are providing supervision to students,\" one principal said. Committee members cited examples where second-run buses depart as late as 4:30 or later; several principals reported students remaining on buses until after 5 p.m. when delays occur.

Human Resources Director Angela Clemons said the shortage is largely a labor-market problem and outlined a three-part response from the city: pay and benefits changes begun in the 2023 compensation study, a cohort-style recruitment and training program, and an \"overhire\" plan enacted in mid-March to add temporary hires while trainees complete CDL endorsements.

\"We increased the rate of pay, as of 2023... by over 12% for all bus drivers... It is shy of $19 per hour,\" Clemons said, adding that pay increases were applied across school, transit and paratransit drivers. She said the city currently is budgeted for 62 school bus FTEs, had 50 employees on payroll as of March 21, and reported six individuals in training.

Clemons described operational flexibility: transit drivers currently sometimes fill school routes, the training division was reestablished with a new supervisor and the overhire program allows hiring beyond budgeted FTEs to cover likely early turnover. \"School bus division actually received 5 additional overhires,\" she said.

Principals and teachers offered a range of ideas the city said it would explore: recruiting instructional assistants or staff with flexible schedules to obtain CDLs and run second loads, contracting charter/field-trip buses when practicable, and coordinating with Harrisonburg Area Transit or James Madison University bus resources. School and city staff agreed to convene a working group to study operational options, recruitment incentives and scheduling changes.

Staff noted training time varies by individual: classroom instruction can take one to two weeks and on-road training and testing can take several additional weeks; some speakers estimated two to four months from hire to fully cleared driver. Trainees are paid at a training rate, Clemons said.

City and school leaders acknowledged the problem predates the current school year and that the shortage mirrors national trends; they pledged continued collaboration on recruitment, retention and operational fixes.

No formal motions were recorded at the liaison committee meeting; staff said they will follow up with a working meeting to explore hybrid or instructional-assistant driver roles, cohort scheduling and other recruitment measures.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Harrisonburg - City - School Liaison Committee on 2025-03-24 3:15 PM - Mar 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Teachers and principals described repeated field-trip cancellations, long second-run commute times and expanded non-instructional supervision caused by a school bus driver shortage; the city said it raised pay in 2023, introduced a cohort training model, added temporary overhires and shifted training resources to recruit and retain drivers.","taxTitle","HARRISONBURG CITY PBLC SCHS, School Districts, Virginia","taxId",80494,"location","Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6626384,"School board shifts Vine Street neighborhood from Waterman to Bluestone to relieve overcrowding",81,1639220,1720550,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2753594-4d076e924dac45cd596784ed2e908df3&start=1639&end=1720","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2753594-4d076e924dac45cd596784ed2e908df3/thumbnail_1639220.jpg","/articles/6626384/Virginia/School-board-shifts-Vine-Street-neighborhood-from-Waterman-to-Bluestone-to-relieve-overcrowding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626384-9a24d8bdc6c9e35a1fed1bae4451e00a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773078667&Signature=AwsGwwuY7i9C~SrU9HPL8wZ8qbwmXSuegGV4oz7PJyzkeSbACdEFWkht-TrELN6Ns9638uIV9cHTasn7pOeLydnoUp4D1Wn~Mq0T7eH4oSyHbTLF5CYei9hbUKxAjuq0C-4nSCi-xOaDA6g19bCWjGLPeMJTbCGfrm4E9ZiVEdCpCybA~XzCRLANR9PadmlPW9c-CUsgTinY~wPBGI6VI0R6dxpytbjPJG7YNO9PKxuphL7gGhqZfaCqYU03XM3sEYo7sY0AKFDHgqpEmMjMQAtboDStEwU69kVafuKpG9tAbp4PTHPxopOIcq-19-5hlgaOKA-bW1QEzGpydS6Ukw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","School officials told the City and School Liaison Committee on March 24 that the school board approved a boundary adjustment moving the Vine Street neighborhood from Waterman Elementary to Bluestone Elementary as part of an effort to relieve overcrowding.

\"All of our elementary schools are... overcrowded... Waterman was overcrowded by 22%... We moved the Vine Street neighborhood as we call it. And so now we're planning on, welcoming those families from Waterman over to Bluestone,\" a school official said at the meeting.

The division expects roughly 79 students to shift schools under the plan. Officials said Bluestone was previously operating at about 80% capacity and will still be under capacity after receiving the Vine Street students but will be closer to intended capacity.

School staff described plans at Bluestone to hold a potluck and tours to welcome relocated families and to help students and parents learn the school’s routines. Officials also cautioned that under-capacity does not necessarily mean overstaffed, noting assignments and staffing depend on enrollment and established staffing formulas.

No vote details (motion text, mover, second, or official tally) were provided in the liaison committee transcript; speakers described the board’s decision as having been made. The school division said it will proceed with outreach to affected families and logistical planning for the transition ahead of the next school year.","Harrisonburg school officials said the board approved moving the Vine Street neighborhood — about 79 students — from overcrowded Waterman Elementary to under-capacity Bluestone Elementary; Bluestone expected to remain under capacity after the change.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6626386,"Harrisonburg school leaders object to Rockingham proposal to change Massanutten Technical Center governance",919,623130,1542280,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2753594-4d076e924dac45cd596784ed2e908df3&start=623&end=1542","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2753594-4d076e924dac45cd596784ed2e908df3/thumbnail_623130.jpg","/articles/6626386/Virginia/Harrisonburg-school-leaders-object-to-Rockingham-proposal-to-change-Massanutten-Technical-Center-governance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626386-edf2aa12400b69a6cee1a94153913f3e/orig.mp4?Expires=1773078667&Signature=lI0VOZjzMQPCFhsTtA55tEoHWoeJjj3axHlZQogZ6PNCMRwtKoJd-5hrjK-r1xZiPs~Qgwg7FXQHoCRNEQ~xM5Yhbf-90e1aIRZlfOHitQsIVfVupUzGcRHduuhwQgmvUB9uSYfw8U-dkpKXSQLjkhakEjGwILg-eojKwwB-eaYpbsLq6OZds2l9A5M2EubRAE9GuhdpStddTn2XzDOSIKgAIyIqM55IL7NlLI~dW~8SjwA3AucR4TngQIe~NRw1sySKsbeaY9V~rYDaeaEd0wy1fqf4iAemlrwqQqvtvAMLgwU94Z64yDclxN3jUILET~NlJL7-UHmJG9MkfeL46g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Harrisonburg school leaders told the City and School Liaison Committee on March 24 that they are in a dispute with Rockingham County over governance and decision-making at Massanutten Technical Center (MTC), a regional career and technical education center founded 56 years ago.

\"The two boards have to have equal voting rights. That is the legal standard,\" Harrisonburg’s superintendent said, summarizing the school board’s position. School leaders said Rockingham County circulated proposals — and later a press release — seeking to reduce Harrisonburg’s voting representation on the MTC executive board and to cap the number of Harrisonburg students who may attend MTC.

Harrisonburg officials said the county has also solicited quotes for a new MTC facility through its board of supervisors, a step Harrisonburg officials described as out of the executive board’s lane and not part of the established, cooperative process. \"It was the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors that went ahead and solicited... quotes for a new MTC. And that inherently, that that was so out of their lane,\" a school board member said.

School leaders explained that under Virginia practice for regional schools the two school boards that created a regional technical center govern it jointly and that any changes to the operating agreement (the MOU) must be approved by each school board independently. \"The MOU says that if it's gonna be altered, it needs to be approved by both boards independently so the executive board can't even vote on changing the MOU,\" one official said.

Harrisonburg officers said Rockingham County board members privately discussed proposals to reduce Harrisonburg’s voting share to roughly match the county’s asserted student share — a reduction Harrisonburg argues would be unlawful and would undermine the regional partnership. According to Harrisonburg officials, current student representation is roughly 23.5% of MTC enrollment while operating-cost shares differ by category; Harrisonburg officials said they pay about 29% of operating costs under the funding formula.

The dispute has already produced contested votes on the executive board: Harrisonburg recounted a recent executive-board vote where a nominated vice chair from Harrisonburg received opposition from three Rockingham board members, though the vice chair ultimately prevailed when other members were present.

Harrisonburg officials said they hope to preserve the regional model but are preparing contingency options if the relationship cannot be restored. \"If it ends up in a divorce. We will provide CTE for our students. We'll figure out how to do it,\" the superintendent said.

The executive board meets periodically and the next scheduled executive meeting noted in the discussion is in the fall; school leaders said the MOU includes a January 15 deadline in the fiscal year preceding any withdrawal from the partnership, creating a wind-down timeline if a separation were to proceed.

Committee members asked for clarification on process and legal authority; school officials emphasized that changing the MOU requires independent board votes and that, absent agreement, a proposed change would not take effect.","Harrisonburg officials said Rockingham County is seeking to change voting and governance arrangements at Massanutten Technical Center; Harrisonburg leaders say the regional operating agreement and Virginia practice require equal board governance and expressed concern over attempts to reduce Harrisonburg’s vote and cap student slots.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6626388,"Harrisonburg officials outline $1.25 million gap between projected revenue and budget requests",476,63720,540000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2753594-4d076e924dac45cd596784ed2e908df3&start=63&end=540","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2753594-4d076e924dac45cd596784ed2e908df3/thumbnail_63720.jpg","/articles/6626388/Virginia/Harrisonburg-officials-outline-125-million-gap-between-projected-revenue-and-budget-requests","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626388-1877d5eb775eb611860af294d3956cdc/orig.mp4?Expires=1773078667&Signature=lyVL-SjNGyuP6tXPFTisu~q~QB3X3mEEN4VRiOkb0NwZTTOFjwy5SpW6oV3f0oohjqW-Kn6Wsfvris6ewLAhMtln~MN-NN8CR7fJyUm~59SZ2tre1gYk6vBDAP~mkojKACEQhk4NpVjy8oZhRMTlcCqFx~k51TBX3QqeyNX83YjzOkwijP2EgiZOV07MlDH7E20mQdD-J~pzt4VOPytYlo7szLs~wekJW2q0Y6RCtO4g1yybLt9AQKxu1Oxt4zgICNokmnOXu8goOx0apM9Z~4EumIj8bz1sV1zg1dozfK~zQjdsN3m~fdOsgVsB~6sKYxrKYsG7JGQhIYd9BTnhuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City and school officials told the City and School Liaison Committee on March 24 that preliminary revenue projections for the 2025–26 budget leave the city roughly $1.25 million short of combined requests from schools, outside partners and city departments.

The city’s finance presentation showed projected new local revenue of about $4.9 million — roughly $3.6 million from general property taxes and $1.3 million from other local taxes — while requests coming in total about $6.17 million, including shared services, nonprofits and department requests.

\"So we had just shy of 5,000,000 in actual revenue growth but almost 6,200,000.0 in requests. And so that kind of brings us down to the deficit, about $1,250,000 deficit,\" City Manager Banks said.

The city noted nearly $1.6 million of the requests were for natural increases or required contributions to shared services with Rockingham County (court, social services, jail, regional programs) and roughly $115,000 was requested for Masanutten Regional Library and other outside organizations. The city also budgets more than $100,000 annually for tax relief for veterans, seniors and residents with disabilities.

Dr. Richards said the school division presented its draft budget to the school board and that, at the time of the liaison meeting, the schools were seeking a $2.7 million increase in the city appropriation. \"I did present my budget to the school board with a, 2.7, million dollar increase from the city appropriation,\" he said.

City staff said they are continuing negotiations to close the gap. \"I am anticipating providing a presentation on that proposed budget in the first week in April or first meeting in April,\" a city finance official said; later the committee was told the city budget presentation to council will occur at the council’s first meeting in April and that the city charter requires budget adoption before May 31.

Committee members said they expect multiple work sessions between the presentation and the charter deadline. \"You'll have 4 to 5 weeks of work sessions or presentations, whatever we want to do. Budget of the option needs to happen before, May 31,\" the city manager said.

No formal motions or votes were taken on the budget during the liaison committee meeting. Officials said additional meetings and formal presentations to both the school board and city council are planned before final votes. The city and school finance directors and senior staff will continue to meet to close the remaining gap and refine personnel and compensation requests.

The liaison meeting included expressions of appreciation between elected leaders and school officials for the collaborative relationship during budget talks; speakers stressed negotiations remain ongoing and that the figures presented were a snapshot in a still-evolving process.

Looking ahead, the city plans to present a proposed budget to council in early April and then conduct work sessions before the charter deadline to adopt the budget by May 31. The parties said they expect to reconvene with updated numbers before final votes.","City and school officials said the city projects roughly $4.9 million in local revenue growth for FY2025–26 while requests total about $6.17 million, creating an estimated $1.25 million shortfall; city budget presentation to council is scheduled for the first meeting in April and charter deadlines require adoption by May 31.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Harrisonburg faces driver shortage, long student supervision times; city rolls out cohort training and overhire plan

School board shifts Vine Street neighborhood from Waterman to Bluestone to relieve overcrowding

Harrisonburg school leaders object to Rockingham proposal to change Massanutten Technical Center governance

Harrisonburg officials outline $1.25 million gap between projected revenue and budget requests