The Perry School District is struggling with a shortage of transportation staff with the spring activity season starting up. 

Superintendent Clark Wicks says they’re facing the challenge of getting enough school bus drivers to complete their normal routes and then take student-athletes to and from their activities. Wicks says that this will be a problem they will have to continue to work through. 

“So specifically this spring, we’re going to really work to try to get all of our activities taken care of. But at this time, we do not have transportation for all of our track mates. So we need to continue to brainstorm. We need to continue to see how we can possibly do that, because many times the buses need to leave, you know, by 230. Well, we’re not done with our bus routes by then.”

Wicks explains another problem they’re running into is the Department of Transportation’s regulations on becoming a bus driver. He says it takes roughly three to six months to certify someone to drive a bus. 

“With that we are working with legislatures and some of it is at the federal level. Regardless there are a number of things that people have to get done before they get their bus drivers licenses but we need to streamline that or shorten it up to attract more potential bus drivers.”

Wicks says they have bus drivers for soccer and golf but track will be the biggest hurdle as of right now. He asks for anyone interested in becoming a driver to contact the school or him. Clark.Wicks@g.perry.k12.ia.us