Wilson County Schools has formed a task force to address a bus driver shortage, a problem that is plaguing school districts across the nation. The problem is so bad in Wilson County that routes sometimes have to be canceled because there aren’t enough drivers, according to WKRN News 2. The district has 142 bus drivers, but needs 20 more to be at full staff. The district hasn’t been fully staffed since 2012. “We’ve just had a hard time keeping drivers,” district spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson told WKRN. “It’s certainly not an ideal situation. We don’t like it. We’re frustrated by it, too. Only 8 percent of school districts that responded to a 2015  survey by School Bus Fleet magazine said they did not have a bus driver shortage, meaning 92 percent did. Pay is an issue, but there are other factors as well, according to an article in the magazine in November 2016. “The job is getting more complex all the time,” the article said. “In addition to driving safely and meeting a schedule, drivers must handle disciplinary issues, be vigilant about security along their routes, make sure seat belts are used (and used correctly), and more.” “A school bus driver has very…
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