ST. LOUIS — Tonight, leaders in the Saint Louis Public School District are looking for new ways to solve a big problem. They're asking staff members if they want to be bus drivers this fall.
The district has been struggling for months to cover routes, even paying parents at one point to drive their kids. An email went out on Thursday night surveying if anyone has a commercial driver's license and would be interested in being a bus driver as well as being an employee of the district.
It went to everyone, including teachers.
There was initial outrage, but Friday night the district said that teachers won't be involved, and the email should have gone only to "non-instructional staff."
"We should not have sent this out to teachers, that was a mistake," said George Sells, Communications and Marketing director for Saint Louis Public Schools. " ... We've already sent communications to those folks apologizing for any confusion that was created by that."
Saint Louis Public Schools have already tried some innovative approaches to make sure they have enough drivers.
In May, they told families could get cash back for driving their kids to and from schools.
They emphasized that with their 60 schools across the city for 20,000 students, there is still a huge need for drivers heading into the first day of school on Aug. 19.
"We have to get them into the classroom," Sells said. "We have to get them there on time. We have to make sure that their teachers and other instructors have the support they need to do their jobs and do it well. We're not going to do anything ever that's going to interrupt their jobs in the classroom."
It's not just a problem for Saint Louis Public Schools, though.
Marshall Cohen, the executive director of charter school Lift for Life Academy, became a bus driver to try and help the shortage with a boots-on-the-ground approach.
"I just made time in my life to do the task," Cohen said. "It's difficult it's not easy. It's a tough job dealing with the cold weather and some drivers not paying attention to the stop sign that goes out. It's a tough thing."
For non-instruction staff, the district is working to identify people who already hold a Commercial Driver's License and are willing to drive a bus, anyone who is interested in receiving free training to obtain a CDL now.
For more information about becoming a Saint Louis Public Schools bus driver, learn more on their career website.