Episode Details

Wake County schools are slashing bus routes at 20 campuses to tackle a driver shortage — nine schools now fall into “non-transportation zones,” while eleven others expand them, affecting families who once relied on buses. With just 32 full-time drivers on staff and 88,882 students needing rides, the district is optimizing routes to cut bus time and boost efficiency — even though walking isn’t always safe. Pay hikes to $20/hour and bonuses have cost nearly $2 million in recruiting efforts, but commercial driving’s higher pay keeps attracting fewer applicants. Meanwhile, Wake is also overhauling special needs transportation — serving 5,000 kids — after last year’s $2 million in reimbursements to families who provided their own transport, amid strained vendor relationships. Despite the chaos, every assigned student will have a ride this fall — a marked improvement from last year’s delays.

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