Driver Shortage Leaves Kids on Floor ‘holding on for Dear Life' on Packed Frisco School Bus

Some Frisco ISD high school students say they have been forced to sit in the aisle or on a friend's lap because their school bus is so crowded. "You're literally holding on for dear life," said Independence High School freshman Siann Torres, who rode home on the bus floor twice during the first two weeks of school. Parents in the Brookstone neighborhood on McKinney's west side have raised safety concerns with the district and shared photos and videos students took of the overcrowded bus. Parents thought the problem had been solved with the addition of a second bus, but they said it apparently is used only after the first bus is full. Not everyone has been alerted to the existence of a second bus, which one parent said wasn't available at all Friday.Amanda McCune, Frisco ISD's executive director of communications, said the district has a shortage of about 30 bus drivers and is trying to hire people. Until the openings are filled, some buses will be crowded, she said. Several campuses have double routes, with buses making a second trip to pick up students who couldn't fit the first time, she said."State law says that we can have 71 riders on a school bus," she said, adding that district policy sets capacity at 54 students at the high school level. "We know we have the capacity to fit that many students and have a safe seat on the school bus."  Continue reading...

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