Area schools cope with shortage of bus drivers:
Leaning Tower 1956
Mount Vernon Police Officer hit by fleeing car while responding to domestic violence incident:
Joseph “Joey” Mathew Thomas Jr.
You’re listening to Source Daily. Join us Monday through Friday to stay up to date with what’s happening in North Central Ohio. We’ll be sharing a closer look at one of our top stories, along with other news, local history, memorials, answers to your questions, and more. Today – A shortage of school bus drivers is straining districts across the country. And Richland County is no exception.
At the end of September parents of Lexington students received a text alert: “There was no driver available for Bus 17. Student pickup would be delayed by at least an hour.” Over the last few years, Lexington has combined bus routes and advertised job openings for – but the shortage persists. Right now, the district has 18 routes and 17 drivers. And Superintendent Jeremy Secrist says they rely heavily on substitute drivers.
Luckily, Lexington has four people in training. But Secrist says the challenge is there aren’t enough experienced drivers available to fill jobs. And when training new drivers, the training takes at least two months, so filling an immediate need is very difficult. Lexington isn’t the only district struggling to find substitute drivers. Most area districts have a full roster of regular bus drivers, but finding substitutes is still a concern.
Superintendent Kevin Kimmel of the Mid Ohio Educational Service Center said that if there is a positive COVID case or a spread, it can shut down a district very quickly. And while COVID has exacerbated the bus driver shortage, it isn’t the only factor. Schools have been dealing with driver shortages for several years. In fact, Karen Kasler of the The Statehouse News Bureau reported that 40 percent of school districts in Ohio have to cancel routes on a regular basis.
So what’s being done to combat the problem? Well, Ontario increased its substitute rate from $15.50 to $18 an hour in March; however, it’s still one of few districts in the area that doesn’t offer full-time benefits to its drivers.
Madison also increased its rates within the last year; regular drivers now make between $16.50 and $19.25, depending on their level of experience.
At Shelby, a bus driver with no experience starts at $18.14 an hour; a driver with 15 years experience receives $23.13 an hour. And as far as what’s being done across the country? Well, some larger school districts in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Oregon are paying parents and partnering with public transit systems to transport students. And Massachusetts has activated its National Guard to drive buses. Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio is considering that move too.
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Next, some local history… did you know that Leaning Tower of Pizza on Lexington in Mansfield, (which we mentioned on yesterday’s podcast), wasn’t always a pizza place? Prior to 1957, some people might remember this building as the Gambles franchise Hardware Store… though some people called it Dillon’s since Jerry and Gene Dillon were the proprietors. If you examine the photos we have on richlandsource.com from that time, you’ll see that welcome mats and laundry baskets were 77 cents, step ladders could be had for $4.44 and Tires were $14. For more history and pictures of Gambles, head over to Richlandsource.com.
Next, from Knox Pages… a Mount Vernon Police Officer was injured while investigating a domestic violence incident Friday afternoon on the 100 block of East Burgess Street, according to a press release issued Friday night by Chief Robert Morgan.
Morgan stated that two Mount Vernon Police Officers responded to a reported domestic violence in progress. As one of the officers attempted to identify an individual involved in the incident, the man, later identified as William G. Carter, 66, of Mount Vernon, failed to comply with the officer’s order to remain at the scene. As Carter left the scene he struck the officer with his vehicle and fled the area. Deputies of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office located and detained Carter on Columbus Road a short time later.
The Mount Vernon Fire Department Squad transported the Officer to Knox Community Hospital for significant injuries sustained during the incident. The suspect William G. Carter was arrested and transported to the Knox County Jail. He is being held on a felony charge of Aggravated Vehicular Assault. The investigation continues and further charges may be forthcoming. Chief Morgan said: “I would like to thank the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol for their assistance in this case.”
Finally, we’d like to take a moment to remember Joseph Thomas Jr. of Mansfield. Joey was born in Abilene, Texas, and graduated from Ontario High School in 1993. He had attended Columbus State Community College and was a Yardmaster with CSX for 15 years.
Joey was a proud veteran of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, retiring from the Air Force in November 2020. During his service from 2004-2020, he was stationed all over the world including: Haiti, Bosnia, Croatia, Hungary, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He was awarded many commendations during his illustrious military career. Left to cherish his memory are his parents, sisters, brother, eleven nieces and nephews, and his favorite little people. To his family, Joey will always be our tough guy with a heart of gold. Thank you for taking a moment with us today to remember and celebrate Joey’s life.
Thanks for listening, join us again tomorrow! Also, make sure to head over to richlandsource.com and click be a member button to help support independent local journalism that informs and inspires.
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