It is back-to-school season and the McKenzie School District says it is excited to bring on its newest bus driver, as it continues to grapple with a shortage.
At the end of the school year, the district held its second annual bus driver hiring event. Out eight attendees, only one applied and was hired, according to Transportation Coordinator Justin Barker.
"So, that's a success for us, especially where we are located here. In Blue River, it is tough to get any kind of applications, let alone someone we can hire, so for us, in our district, that is a huge win," Barker said.
The new employee, Tina Embree, has been a bus driver since 2018, and has been training all summer to prepare for the back-to-school season.
"I love to drive, I actually love to drive. It is not just a like, I love to drive, but I like knowing I can help with students or people or make things a little better at the end of the day. If it helps bring a little ease and stress-free to everybody else, I'm good," Embree said. "I tell people if you really love to drive, if you like a challenge, a bus driver is the way to go. It puts [you] out there, it's rewarding and it puts your mind to test all the time."
The District said it has a harder time getting bus drivers than other districts because of its location. Its bus routes are more rural and stretch from the McDonald's in Thurston all the way to Camp Yale.
There are no neighborhood bus routes for drivers in the school district; all of its stops are along Highway 126, which can cause some safety issues, according to Barker
"A lot of people don't like being stuck behind a bus, and here we have a lot of people that will drive around us even when we are stopped -- our red lights are out to indicate that they need to stop, right? So, it is dangerous," he said.
The district now has four bus drivers, but Barker said he and Superintendent Lane Tompkins can also drive the buses if needed.
The school districts first day of school is Sept. 2.