(West Fargo, ND) -- As most of the Red River Valley School Districts see a strain on bus drivers, one district may have to deal with having none at all to start the school year.
A letter sent to West Fargo families says bus drivers for the district may not show up to their assigned shifts due to a rift in understanding of responsibilities with West Fargo Schools.
The letter to parents and students reads as followed:
WFPS Families and Staff:
District administration has been informed of a group of transportation staff that have indicated their intent to potentially not show up for their assigned shifts. The board and administration have been working with this department over the summer to understand their concerns and to find common ground.
Unfortunately, with the possibility of a group of drivers not reporting to work, coupled with the critical shortage of bus drivers we are already experiencing, we need our families and staff to be aware of the high potential of service impacts this school year, including significant delays or cancelled routes. We encourage families to have a back-up plan should transportation services not be available.
West Fargo Public Schools is committed to providing safe and reliable transportation to families each and every day. We will continue working with the transportation staff to ensure that we can get all students to school and will keep families informed of any disruptions.
Sincerely,
WFPS Administrative Team
There is a contingent of transportation department employees, which number has not been made public, that have expressed dissatisfaction with their current rate of pay. This has reportedly led to the friction between the district and the drivers.