NEW YORK – Thousands of students on Long Island may not have gotten a ride to school Thursday as the bus driver shortage continues to affect not only schools locally but also schools across the country.
At least 5,000 families in the Huntington Union Free School District in Suffolk County will be directly affected after their school bus service provider abruptly canceled 76 bus routes. In a statement, the Huntington Coach Corporation blamed the challenges presented by the pandemic and the lack of qualified drivers.
“At Huntington Coach Corporation we have done everything we can to keep the drivers we have and attract new ones, but the continuing lack of qualified applicants and the time it takes to train, certify and screen drivers through federal background checks and New York State. The system has had daunting challenges, “the bus company said in a statement. “We have been hiring and training drivers at an unprecedented rate, but still, at best, we have stayed afloat.”
To make matters worse for parents and students, the company said that all school bus services in the school district will be canceled on Friday, October 8.
Huntington Coach has been operating since 1927 and school district superintendent James Polansky expressed disappointment that the bus provider has been transporting students in the district for more than six decades.
“I have to be honest with you, I can’t believe this,” Polansky said. “This is a company that we have been working with as a school district for 62 years. We are right in their backyard. We were waiting a little less than 36 hours in advance.”
A spokeswoman for Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said Thursday that the Democrat was “working with the district and stakeholders to get an assessment of the situation and help facilitate solutions.”
“Governor Hochul’s top priority is keeping the kids in school,” said Hazel Crampton-Hays, his press secretary.
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