GILEAD —  On Tuesday, Jan. 30, at 6:30 a.m. Gilead parents got a notification that bus 27 would not be running. Wednesday morning at 6:10 they got another “no bus” notification. On Wednesday at 1 p.m. they were notified that the bus would not be running for the remainder of the week.

The following week the situation persisted. On Monday, Feb. 5, at 6:37 a.m: “Bus 27 will not be running this morning,” and later that morning, “unfortunately it will be out all week.”

MSAD 44 Superintendent Mark Kenney said the Gilead bus driver is on medical leave and they have no substitute drivers. A similar situation happened for most of November and all of December, he said.

After Christmas break a different driver was out. They have another driver going out [on sick leave] after April vacation for a shoulder replacement. That will affect the West Bethel run.

“We’re having to double up runs, shuttle with vans and parents have had to transport,” he said.

Transportation Manager Jim Whitman does a daily bus run to Newry. “He does a lot of double bus runs, because he knows the routes, when drivers are out,” Mechanic Jay Ross, fills in, too, said Kenney. The administration office staff will use the school’s van to get kids home so they don’t have to wait the extra hour. Coaches often use the vans to take their team to games, too.

Three days a week the bus drivers take students to the Rugrats program at Sunday River, too.

Whitman said he has seven bus drivers including himself. He could use three more, since two or three are doing double runs each day.

He said Kenney and all the school secretaries have radios, “everyone has been pitching in,” said Whitman.

No drivers

“We don’t have the drivers,” said Kenney.

He said a few former bus drivers have come back to help with sports trips, but they have no back-up drivers.

They have had openings at SAD-44 for five years. Pay starts at $17.62. The pay goes up with experience and includes health insurance and benefits.

The parent of a Telstar athlete said Lisbon cancelled basketball games this season because they had no bus drivers. The lack of bus drivers is a state-wide issue said Kenney.

“Everyone is struggling. It is a daily shuffle. It is hard on parents. It’s hard on staff who are trying to keep the kids for the extra hour-ish … it makes a long day for the kiddos.”

Gilead

Kenney said while they are on a delayed run, they are still running a bus in Gilead. “We to have to wait for a driver to finish their regular run then they turn around and [they] go and will pick up any kids who couldn’t get transported by parents both in the morning and afternoon, if needed.”

He encourages parents to call the school so the driver can go directly to the home, if not they they’ll run the entire route to see if anyone needs a ride.

Parent Caeri Buck of Gilead said the bus situation has been a big inconvenience for her family since her husband is supposed to be at work at 7:30 a.m. but has to drop their sixth and third grader off at school and go to work late. She said waiting for the delayed bus just means he’ll get to work even later.

She said the text message from the school said, “until further notice.”

She said she took it to mean no bus for the rest of the year, “we’ll just cross our fingers and hope for the best,” said Buck.

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