Philly Schools May Be Bringing The National Guard To Help Drive Buses

As The School District of Philadelphia experiences a shortage of school bus drivers, they are exploring ways to take a control of this problem that disrupted the first two weeks of school.  One potential option being considered is bringing in National Guard troops.“We’re exploring all of the avenues within our span of control,” Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said at a press conference Wednesday.

Coming to school during a pandemic has not been easy and many districts across the nation have felt it. As Philadelphia schools kick off bringing students physically into school, they are facing intense bus driver shortages. As a result, some students have been arriving late to school and/or getting home later than expected.

Superintendent Hite said the school district reached out to Gov. Tom Wolf’s to investigate the possibility of using National Guard troops to drive vans, buses or provide other assistance.

While nothing is concrete or solidified,  “they’re amenable to helping solve the problem,” Hite said.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker recently activated the National Guard to help with transportation issues in his state.