JACKSON (AP) — Jackson Public School officials were asking parents and students to find alternate transportation today as a school bus driver walkout entered a second day.
The drivers staged a walkout yesterday demanding more money. Only ten percent of the drivers reported to work, leaving 243 of 263 buses parked.
The school district issued a statement yesterday that it was working to remedy the situation:
The Jackson Public School District is very thankful for parents taking the necessary measures to bring students to school today due to the interruption in transportation services. All students who are absent or arrive late because of transportation issues will be excused. We are also grateful for the many bus drivers who did report to work this morning and afternoon. The District asks local employers to please be understanding to parents who may be delayed to work because of transporting their children to and from school. JPS has advised parents of the possibility of more delays in the coming days. Jackson Public Schools is working aggressively to resolve the issues with our bus drivers and hopes to identify a solution soon that will have a lesser impact on parents getting students to and from school daily.
In the meantime, the school district says students will be excused for arriving late and it urged employers to be understanding if parents had to drive their kids to school.
There are a total 263 bus drivers within Jackson Public Schools system. Officials say about 22,000 students ride the buses.
The average pay for a part-time JPS bus driver is $10.79 per hour for a five-hour shift. Pay comes with health insurance, paid holidays and retirement.
