Announcement of Cancelled Bus Routes
This is an update for parents/guardians of students riding school buses to and from school.
October 5, 2022
Dear Families of Holly Area Schools,
This is an update for parents/guardians of students riding school buses to and from school.
As you may have heard in media reports, there continues to be a nationwide shortage of bus drivers. In the past year, we have witnessed the impact of this shortage resulting in cancelled bus routes in several Michigan school districts.
While our district transportation department leaders and bus drivers have continued to work tirelessly to keep all of our routes running, the shortage of drivers has now impacted Holly Area Schools. One of the biggest challenges we face is finding qualified substitute drivers to fill driver absences. Knowing that driver leaves of absence will soon impact routes, we are communicating in advance so our families have more time to plan for alternative transportation to and from school for their children.
Beginning the week of October 10th through the week of November 28th, we will temporarily cancel two bus routes. Each week, two different routes will be cancelled as part of a weekly rotation to reduce the inconvenience to one week for our families.
We would avoid cancelling any routes if at all possible. Our district transports over 1,500 students daily. Our school buses travel nearly 2,000 miles each day, making us the third-largest district in size in Southeast Michigan. Over the past year, we have successfully utilized licensed staff and department leaders to cover routes, but this is not sustainable in the coming weeks.
With this announcement, the district has bolstered its campaign to hire new bus drivers offering signing bonuses up to $5,000 and providing all drivers with attendance incentives. Please see our flyer on social media, the website, and soon in local newspapers. Please share this advertisement with friends and family who may be interested in a career driving a school bus.
Attached to this letter is the schedule of the cancelled bus routes through the week of November 28th. A follow-up Skylert email will be sent the week prior to each cancelled route as a reminder.
We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we do our best to fully staff our transportation department and support your child’s route to school.
Sincerely,
Scott M. Roper, Superintendent
HAS Rotating Bus Route Cancellation Schedule