Marion County School Bus Driver Crisis
Marion County Public Schools are facing a problem and many parents are feeling the effects this year. There is a serious shortage of qualified bus drivers despite a recent increase in salary.
Parents are seeing an increase in notifications that there won’t be a bus coming to the school to pick up their child at all, or that the bus is considerably late. This can put a serious toll on those needing to leave work early repeatedly to unexpectedly pick up their child from school.
After a conversation with the bus transportation dept, I was told it wasn’t the buses breaking down that was the issue, it was a lack of people willing and able to drive them.
With around 300 school buses on the road every day there is a considerable amount of work available in Marion County Public Schools. According to the transportation dept. some of the drivers are not just taking one route a day, but up to four!
Parents have also noticed that some of the buses are jammed full with a rule of three students per seat, which is fine for elementary school rumps, but those seats are only 39 inches long. When the same rule is being applied to the high school buses as well and factoring in the size of students at 16 and 18 years old, those seats are just not big enough. Especially with the added musical instruments, art projects, and backpacks that accompany the students. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I could fit in a 39-inch bench seat with two high school football players.
I can't even imagine the sights and smells that belong to that ride that lasts up to an hour for some of our kids. If you are looking for full or part-time work and are interested in helping out, this is something seriously needed immediately, and pay starts at over $19 an hour.
Please visit: EmployFlorida.com
Adult Acting Classes This Winter At OCT!
A five-week class with a maximum of eight students is available starting in January.
This class helps students to develop an appreciation for the entire process of acting. It differs from foundational acting studies as it focuses on applying acting techniques to specific scene performances. Actors will improve their ability to craft characters, try different things in a low-pressure environment, explore different techniques, and refine skills such as timing, listening, reacting, etc. The class also helps actors learn how to take direction and improve communication with coaches, directors, and casting directors.
INSTRUCTOR: Greg Thompson
CLASS MEETING TIME: Sundays, January 7 - February 4 • 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
TUITION: $75
