CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Bus driver shortages in Clay County are causing delays for students in several neighborhoods, frustrating families who rely on timely transportation.
A mother, who wished to remain anonymous, told News4JAX that the delays have become a daily issue. “It’s been an everyday thing. It went on for a whole week and it was very cold outside,” she said.
Cassandra, a Ridgeview High School student, described the impact on her education. When buses are late, she misses her first-period history class, which she needs to pass to graduate. “If I’m sitting there waiting for the bus, I won’t get to the class until second period. So I’m already missing one full class of the day,” she explained.
The mother, Jordan, said the problem affects her younger children as well. She noted the inconvenience it causes her workday, even though she works from home. “Luckily my job is a little flexible, but it still is a huge inconvenience for sure,” she said.
Clay County Schools did not provide an interview but issued a statement acknowledging the transportation delays. The district attributed the issues to a regional shortage of bus drivers, which forces drivers to “double back”—completing one route before starting another.
The full statement can be read below.
“Clay County District Schools is aware of the ongoing transportation delays affecting several of our neighborhoods, including Stonebridge. These issues are largely driven by a regional shortage of bus drivers, which necessitates ‘double backing’—where a single driver must complete one route before starting another.
We are taking several active steps to address this:
Clay County Schools spokesperson
The district is actively recruiting and training new drivers to reduce these double-back routes. They are also working with the developers of the Chipmunk app to improve real-time tracking for families during double-back scenarios.
“We understand the frustration these delays cause our families and students,” the statement read. “Our priority is ensuring every student has a safe and reliable way to get to school, and we appreciate the community’s patience as we work to resolve these staffing and technical hurdles.”
Looking ahead, Cassandra hopes to get to school on time and not lose instructional time due to bus delays. “I just want to be able to learn and not have to cut into my instructional time just because the bus is late,” she said.
Jordan hopes the district resolves the issue soon. “This is affecting not just my children’s education, but everybody else, all the other children,” she said.