NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools has addressed a problem it has had so far this school year with delays on some bus routes. Chief Operating Officer Fred Carr wrote in a letter to the district’s families that bus driver absences are contributing to the problem. 

“The district has more than enough bus drivers to cover every bus route, but this school year, bus driver absences are higher than normal, causing delays on some bus routes,” Carr wrote. “Driving schedules provide some limited downtime between drivers’ high school, elementary and middle school bus routes. The Metro Schools transportation department is now scheduling our drivers to cover absent drivers’ routes during this downtime.”

Carr went on to say that students whose buses have been delayed are not counted as tardy and still have the opportunity to eat breakfast at school.

Moreover, the transportation department is combating the unexpected absenteeism by hiring and training bus drivers every week so that there are more full-time substitute drivers on the staff.