Governor and mayors working with HIDOE on student transportation solutions

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HONOLULU - Hawai'i State Department of Education Superintendent Keith Hayashi is working closely with Gov. Josh Green, M.D., and the mayors of Hawai'i County, the city & County of Honolulu and Maui County to restore suspended school bus routes for students.

The Department announced yesterday that it was temporarily suspending 108 routes in Central O'ahu and East Hawai'i Island - affecting nearly 2,900 students who signed up for bus transportation - to prioritize transportation for students with disabilities. Since then, another 39 routes servicing schools in Central and Upcountry Maui will be temporarily suspended, impacting 820 students.

The suspensions were prompted when the bus contractor for those areas informed the Department this week that it did not have sufficient drivers with the required commercial driver's licenses in place as of this week. Public school students return for the new school year starting Monday. Given the uncertainty, the Department chose to temporarily suspend these bus routes so alternative transportation plans can be made.

The Department is offering free bus passes for public transportation or mileage reimbursement for parents to impacted students on O'ahu, Hawai'i Island and Maui. For more information on bus passes, please visit https://bit.ly/HIDOE-EXPRESS.

Governor Green expedited the approval of an emergency proclamation to temporarily relax rules around the types of vehicles that can be used to safely transport students to and from school, and regulations around the required driver certifications. The proclamation was signed today and takes effect Monday.

The Department is also working with the counties for affected students to use public transportation routes on the City & County of Honolulu TheBus system, Hawai'i County's Hele-On buses and Maui County's Maui Bus to get to and from school.

"We extend our sincere gratitude to Governor Green for his immediate action in approving the emergency proclamation. It will help us address the workforce shortages impacting student transportation and prioritize the needs and safety of our students" Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. "We also greatly appreciate the counties mobilizing quickly to provide alternate transportation on their public routes for our students to get to and from school safely."

Deputy Superintendent for Operations Randy Moore said the suspensions are temporary and routes are expected to be restored in phases as more drivers are hired.

"There are a number of prospective drivers in the queue who we are working with our contractor to certify and clear the necessary background checks," Moore said. "As drivers are hired, the routes that are suspended will be reinstated over the next few weeks. We recognize the challenge this creates for parents and schools. Getting all of our students to school each day is a very high priority and we are working to restore service as soon as possible."

Moore said school and complex area leaders will have input on deciding which routes to restore first. Routes for elementary school students and for rural communities and military bases will likely receive priority due to limited public transportation options and student demographics.

At this time, suspended school bus routes include 56 routes in Central Oʻahu impacting 1,553 registered students, 52 routes in East Hawaiʻi impacting 1,313 registered students, and 39 routes in Central and Upcountry Maui impacting 820 registered students.

Bus service contractors are continuing to offer hiring bonuses, pay incentives and increased benefits to attract new drivers. For employment opportunities, see here.