Toronto school boards expect fewer bus driver shortages but some are bracing for yet more disruptions

School boards and school bus operators around the GTA say they're expecting a strong supply of drivers to start the upcoming academic year.

"The numbers look promising," said Kevin Hodgkinson, general manager of the Toronto Student Transportation Group, which oversees school buses for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB).

The two school boards and others around the province have been plagued with driver shortages over the past two years, which have caused service disruptions and delays.

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While some of the companies contracted by the Toronto school boards have yet to finalize their driver lists, Hodgkinson said it appears there will be several hundred additional drivers available at the start of the year.

"On paper it looks good, we just need to be cautious in terms of going forward because there's a lot of turnover in the industry," he added.

The situation in nearby Halton region also looks promising, according to school bus operator First Student Canada.

"We do envision having a driver in every seat," said the company's area manager Peter McGlynn. "It looks good right now."

McGlynn partially credits a new contract in Halton region, which mandates a minimum rate of $19 per hour for bus drivers. The figure is around $2 per hour higher than First Student Canada was paying its drivers last school year.

Ongoing challenges

While some of the operators and school boards are forecasting an improvement over the past two years, others in the industry say shortages and disruptions will remain the norm going forward.

"I'm not hearing anything that makes me thing we've nipped the problem in the bud," added Debbie Montgomery, president ofUniforLocal 4268, which represents school bus drivers in Ontario.

Montgomery points to a lack of steady hours and sometimes difficult working conditions as contributing factors in the province's ongoing shortages.

Asked if parents and students should expect shortages this year, Mark Begg said, "I think it's a very good possibility."

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The president of the Ontario School Bus Association (OSBA) says a lack of provincial funding has put massive pressure on school bus operators, who are struggling to stay in business.

He said the province's funding model has not been altered for 10 years, making it difficult for operators to pay drivers a decent wage, purchase new buses, and maintain their fleets.

"We're still working on numbers from 2008 and it's simply not sustainable," Begg added.

A new bus in 2008 cost around $60,000 to $70,000, he said. Today, comparable vehicles cost "upwards of $115,000."

Calls for increased funding

This school year, the province is expected to provide $919 million in funding to school boards through the Student Transportation Grant.

In recent years, both the TDSB and TCDSB's school bus costs have exceeded their provincial funding, and the boards have been forced to make up the shortfall with their own budgets.

"It's a struggle for both Toronto school boards to deal with the weight of those contracts," Hodgkinson said.

The OSBA is calling on the Ford government to update its funding model for school transportation, to better align with costs.

Begg said the prospect of paying drivers higher wages could be effective, but it won't be sustainable under the current funding.

"Simply just saying 'we're going to pay more for drivers,' at some point that money has to come from somewhere," he said.