District announces driver-onboarding change after recent absences stretch bus service; plans to expand driver pool

Following several days when driver absences strained morning routes, Manchester School District told the Board of School Committee May 12 it will adjust onboarding to get more bus drivers into training sooner and expand the pool so routes are less likely to be disrupted.

District transportation leaders told the committee driver availability has improved compared with last year’s frequent cancellations but noted recent pressure on service: six drivers were out on medical or family leave and a handful of callouts on some days produced a total of about 11 unavailable drivers on an affected day, resulting in late arrivals on at least one run. The district said it will provide immediate management coverage so late-running routes are not left without staff while longer-term solutions are implemented.

To shorten the time between hire and service readiness, the district will allow driver candidates to begin the multi-week training process after they have submitted their completed fingerprint appointment (the fingerprinting itself will be completed as part of the background-check process). District officials emphasized that candidates will not be placed in the presence of students until background checks complete and required commercial-driver and pupil-transportation certifications are in place. Transportation training typically takes four to eight weeks, the district said.

School officials said the change aims to reduce the loss of candidates to private companies that hire more rapidly — an issue the district faced as it built an in-house transportation operation. The district has 46 hired drivers and authority to staff up to 56; administrators said they are working to staff available slots and that the short-term coverage plan includes management stepping in where necessary.

Board members asked for more detail on vacancies and for urgency in contract negotiations that will govern shift assignments and “pick” procedures for drivers; staff said the bargaining agreement controls several scheduling and assignment details and that future collective-bargaining talks will address flexibility and continuity.

No formal vote was required to implement the onboarding change; district HR and transportation teams said the procedure was HR‑approved, and administrators will report back on recruitment and attrition at future meetings. Board members asked the administration to consider whether temporary hires or incentives could be used to stabilize coverage and to provide a status update at the board’s upcoming finance meeting.