Kurt Myers, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) deputy secretary, and Dr. Noe Ortega, Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) secretary, recently met with the Pennsylvania School Bus Association to address the state’s bus driver shortage.
PennDOT also recently contacted approximately 376,000 residents with Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL) to help connect them with schools. The correspondence included a letter from PDE with a survey for those interested in exploring employment opportunities.
More than 1,300 individuals have taken the survey and will now be contacted by their local school districts to discuss the next steps.
“We know how challenging this year has been for our schools, communities, and parents; and we know how important it is to form partnerships and pool resources in times of crisis,” Ortega said. “The Wolf Administration and the Pennsylvania School Bus Association stand committed to supporting our schools as they work to resolve these difficult transportation issues, and we encourage anyone interested in becoming a school bus driver to apply online.”
Beginning Oct. 18 and running four weeks, PennDOT has opened CDL skills testing on Mondays to allow those interested to schedule a time for a CDL skills test.
Testing is taking place at 23 locations statewide.