MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tuesday afternoon, those with First Student, the busy provider for Memphis-Shelby County Schools, updated thousands of district parents with good news: there is no bus driver shortage when school starts next week.
"We are fully staffed. We are every excited," First Student District Manager Alvin Tucker said. "We have more than enough drivers to cover our routes for this school cycle."
Tucker said 330 drivers are staffed ahead of Monday's start to the MSCS school year. That staffing covers the district's nearly 300 total routes, along with reserve drivers on standby. Tucker reported about 50 vacancies to begin the summer.
"Throughout the summer, we've been hiring, recruiting and training drivers. Our drivers, as we've onboarded them, we've been able to retain senior drivers as well because of hiring incentives that we have in place," Tucker added.
Those with First Student said the two-year-old bus fleet is also equipped with the latest safety technologies.
"Our buses have air conditioning. It has GPS. It has a child checkmate system - also driver tablets where the drivers conduct their pre route and post route inspections," Tucker said.
For more information on MSCS bus routes and other information, go to: www.scsk12.org/backtoschool/.