VIENNA — Maries R-1’s search for additional bus drivers continues, according to the latest update from Superintendent Teresa Messersmith at the Feb. 25 Board of Education meeting.

The district currently runs five bus routes, which is a decrease from the seven it had a few years ago. Across those years, the district has been unable to find drivers to replace the lost routes despite perpetual listings for the positions. The school has condensed routes and lengthened its target duration for bus routes to 75 minutes to align with the state’s recommended maximum time.

Over the last few years, the board has also heard concerns from parents about the length of routes and the paths they follow. Messersmith has provided a few updates about the search for drivers since last fall. She has emphasized the point that the bus routes have reached their maximum capacity, and hiring another driver could alleviate those issues. Bus routes could be reworked as soon as the district hired another driver.

At the February meeting, Messersmith said she had recently contacted school bus contractors in the area. Copeland Bus Sales in St. James and D&K Bus & Charter Service in Wardsville were uninterested in working with the district. Durham School Services in California also showed no interest. Rudroff Bus Company in Linn was interested in working with the district but was unable to find drivers for the routes.

Messersmith contacted First Student in

Rolla. The company was interested in contracting with Maries R-1. The superintendent confirmed that the company would accept only contracting three routes with the district. It agreed on the condition that it could take over routes that become available if other drivers decide to stop.

First Student collected information about the possible routes and planned to prepare pricing estimates for the board to review before its next meeting.

Messersmith said she had met with bus drivers individually to inform them about the district’s plans to explore options to meet transportation needs.

“We are trying every way we can to make sure that their routes stay with them,” she said. “If we run out of options, then we may get in a bind where we have to do something different.”

Messersmith said if the district can reach an agreement with First Student, it would be great because the drivers already with the district could continue, and the issue of having fewer bus routes than the district would like would be resolved. Her concern about contracting a service would be the cost though the details would be unknown until the March 18 meeting. She suggested speaking with bus drivers again once more details were available.

Another transportation-related item on the agenda concerned the use of the school van. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education guidelines require schools to use buses to transport groups of more than 10 people. Feedback from the district’s insurance said if the van was rated for more than 10 passengers, the district would be unable to use it.

The van is rated for eight passengers, so Messersmith said she was comfortable continuing to use the van as long as it is not on a regular basis. Uses for the van could include emergency situations or small group trips.