DOWAGIAC — School means nothing if there is no way for students to safely get to and from it. However, for Dowagiac Union Schools, that will be no problem this year.

Last year, the transportation department began posting signs around the community to hire more bus drivers. Now, with school just around the corner, Dowagiac Union Schools has a full fleet of bus drivers ready to safely transport kids to and from their school day.

This is not the case for everywhere, as America faces a national school bus driver shortage across the country. Schools in Niles, Berrien Springs and northern Indiana also have job postings for school bus drivers.

Scott Woods, the transportation supervisor at Dowagiac Union Schools, knew a shortage of drivers for the upcoming school year could be a possible concern due to several factors.

“It is a national issue,” Woods said. “There are more expectations and more liability you hold. It isn’t a full-time job. Some people that like to do it want to but can’t afford to.”

Woods, who has been in his role since February, said bus drivers who are employed with the school are required to go through rigorous training before they ever even get in a bus full of children.

“They practice everything, like how to do a railroad stop,” Woods said. “They also go through three days of training with the state program.”

For every school, the number of bus drivers needed depends on several factors such as enrollment numbers and bus fleet. For Dowagiac to successfully function, 11 bus drivers are needed, but Woods prefers to have 13 on hand.

“Extra drivers substitute, make sports trips to and from games, and can also cover other driver’s routes,” Woods said.

When sorting through applicants, Woods said everyone has to pass a federal background check before they are even considered. This is because a bus driver will be around children. Woods also said he likes to see that applicants have experience working with children, which can sometimes determine if someone would make a good fit.

Through his role at Dowagiac, Woods said he has seen drivers stay loyal to the program and eventually retire. These drivers opt into the system’s retirement program. Some drivers like their job because they prefer the summers off, Woods said. However, some drivers will look for employment over the summers during the time they are not working and end up staying with that job year-round.

“We have lost a lot of good drivers because of that,” Woods said.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage for bus drivers in the school sector was $32,420 in May of 2018.

Woods said safety is always a top concern for bus drivers, as they are expected to see the unexpected at any time. However, for drivers who end up behind a school bus, safety is not always clear.

In the Dowagiac area, Woods has noticed a lack of knowledge among both old and new drivers when it comes to stopping for a school bus that is displaying flashing red lights.

Woods said he receives many calls from people about what the different signals mean. He said he tries his best to explain the difference between the different lights.

Currently under Michigan State Law, when a vehicle is meeting a school bus stopped and displaying two alternately flashing red lights, located at the same level, the vehicle should come to a complete stop no less than 20 feet from the school bus.

Woods said he feels there needs to be more awareness on the issue. He recently heard the state is putting together a program that would be accessible at Secretary of State offices.

Woods has also noticed some states, like Maryland, are now allowing bus drivers to go on unemployment over the summer.

“This would allow those places to keep most of their staff on for the coming school year.” Woods said. “It’s a never-ending battle nowadays.”