Wisconsin mothers are stepping up to work as school bus drivers amid a worker shortage.
According to local nbc26, mothers in Kaukauna are filling the gaps, including Sydney Reichert — a new mother who brings her infant daughter along while she drives.
Reichert noted, “She sits in her car seat just like she would in my car, and she usually falls asleep so it’s a nap.”
“I was ready to bring home a paycheck, but I wasn’t ready to leave her in daycare, “ she noted.
Safety manager Henrique Hilgenberg stated, “Sydney is just one of the few that we have that I call the Kobussen mom army.”
Nbc26 also reported that another member of this “mom army” brings her toddler with her to work.
Carleigh Trudeau stated, “This job gives me the opportunity to stay home with my 2-year-old, bring him to work with me, and he gets to have that social environment with all the other kiddos on the bus.”
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the workforce has lost 1.4 million workers since the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is due to various factors, from early retirement to Americans relocating to other areas or seeking to work for themselves. The ongoing worker shortage is affecting numerous fields.
In August, the CEO and executive director of the National Association for Pupil Transportation Molly McGee-Hewitt told NPR, “This is an issue that’s been going on pre-pandemic and before. There are not enough people at this moment interested in being bus drivers.”
She explained that the split shift, working in the morning and then in the afternoon, is one of the factors. “Today, people are looking for a solid amount of time. That middle break does not work for most people.”
According to nbc26 other community members, like team coaches, have also been helping to drive buses.
“That’s been happening throughout the state. We’re the first thing they see and the last thing they see in the school day, right there next to the teachers to try to be a positive influence on the child’s school day,” he concluded.