(La Porte, IN) - There’s a shortage of school bus drivers this week in the La Porte Community School Corporation.

 

Superintendent Mark Francesconi said 12 full-time bus drivers are not available for medical and other various reasons like deaths in the family. Francesconi said the number of driver absences was unusually high.

 

“It’s just a perfect storm,” the superintendent said.

None of the absences are related to COVID-19, he said. The school corporation has 56 full-time school bus drivers and five substitute drivers.

 

Francesconi said the remaining drivers are running longer routes to take on more children while trying to get children to and from school on time. As a result, he said parents were advised in text messages that school buses could be late in picking up and bringing home their children due to a driver shortage. Parents were also informed the school corporation would understand if they wanted to take their children to and from school to help with the situation.

 

It's still too early to know if there will be any missing drivers next week.