Alpine School District faces bus driver shortage, causing problems for start of school year
One parent posted on social media that her child who goes to Vista Heights Middle School had to call her to request a ride home after both waves on the bus were too full. Other parents shared similar experiences with busses being late or having to pick their children up from school because busses were too full.
Some parents said that the busses are being packed full of kids, three to four children to a seat, and some were even reporting that children were sitting on the floor, in the aisles of the busses.
Staying alive during the 100 deadliest days: What the state wants for you
Other parents said that bus issues happen at the start of the year every year, and that the district has a driver shortage. They suggested parents should call the school district, and Alpine School District told ABC4.com that they are aware of the problems the busses are experiencing and parents' frustrations.
Bus issues are common at the beginning of each school year, Director of Communications for Alpine School District Dr. Rich Stowell confirmed. 'There's always going to be some frustration with transportation,' he said.
'Obviously, the first few days of any school year are going to bring out some issues that we could not have anticipated, like where the kids are coming from, what the crowded routes are,' Stowell said. 'So we're working through those, and those are kind of par for the course for us, and we'll get through it.'
He added that they manage a huge fleet of busses, and they are focused on getting kids to school safely and on time every day. However, Stowell also stated that there are driver shortages in the district, which means that they can't have as many buses transporting students as they would like.
Because of the shortages, buses are having to pick kids up in waves, or doing what Stowell called 'double runs.' There are more students than can fit on the buses, and so the buses have to take one load of students home and then return to the school for a second trip.
WATCH: Bystander intervenes after man attempts to kidnap baby at Trax station
'That's always going to cause some delays for some kids getting home,' Stowell said.
While the initial issues should resolve as the district adjusts, Stowell added that families can do several things to help. First, if they know anyone who is between jobs or is retired, they should get them to apply as a bus driver.
'We could always use more bus drivers, and those are really rewarding jobs,' he said. 'We want to encourage people. They can be a lot of fun, and they help out the community in a very direct way.'
Families can also organize carpools with neighbors. 'We know transportation is always a challenge for families, and so looking for creative solutions with neighbors to get their kids to school in carpools would help immensely,' Stowell explained.
Still, they are expecting things to even out. Stowell said that buses will start to get to school faster, and the district can also adjust the loads of students.
'Maybe the first load was really packed, and the second load wasn't as packed, and so we can manage that a little bit better now that we know how many students are going on each bus,' he explained.
The loads will also even out when after-school programs start up again. 'As kids start to do those things and students stay at school a little longer to enhance their educational experiences, they won't have to get on that first load necessarily, and so things will kind of even out as we get into the second, third week of school,' Stowell concluded.
Latest headlines:
Roy PD to issue citations for juveniles out past curfew following recent graffiti incidents
Willard Peak Fire reaches 41% containment, fire crews 'comfortable' with stopped progression
Alpine School District faces bus driver shortage, causing problems for start of school year
Mom of SLC man missing since March 2024 speaks out, asks for answers
5 takeaways from the Trump-Putin summit
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
11 minutes ago
- CBS News
More than 1,000 pets available at Fort Worth's Mega Adoption Event
Animals from about two dozen regional shelters and rescue groups wait for their "furever" families at Fort Worth's Mega Adoption Event this weekend. This comes as local shelters experience historic overcrowding. A long line of animal lovers anxiously awaited to meet adoptable pets on Sunday morning at the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Exhibits Hall. More than 1,000 animals from more than 20 shelters and rescues waited to meet their prospective pet parents. That includes both dogs and puppies, as well as cats and kittens. The event features animals of all shapes and sizes, as well as purebred pets. Several North Texas shelters have had to pause owner surrenders this year due to overcrowding. "All shelters across North Texas have been at capacity or over capacity for such a long time, so by adopting a pet, you're actually in essence saving two lives. That's the life of the pet you just adopted, and you're opening critical kennel space," said Humane Society of North Texas senior director Cassie Davidson. "On a day-to-day basis, we do operate at 90 to 100% or above capacity. What that looks like is it's animals that are in our shelter for longer than we would like. That can lead to some behavioral issues, and then have to mitigate or manage," Fort Worth Animal Care & Control supervisor Anastasia Ramset said. The Mega Adoption Event continues through 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17. If you can't make it out to the event, you can adopt a pet at a shelter. Adoption fees are waived this month at Fort Worth Animal Care and Control and many other North Texas shelters for the Clear the Shelters program.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Powerball ticket worth $80,000 sold in California
The Brief No one got the jackpot in the Saturday, Aug. 16 drawing for the top prize of $565 million. The following were the winning numbers for the Aug. 16 drawing: 23, 40, 49, 65, 69. PB: 23 LOS ANGELES - Feeling lucky? As the nation awaits the winner of the $600 million Powerball lottery jackpot, someone in California may be $80,000 richer. What we know According to California Lottery's website on Saturday night, a ticket worth $80,504 was sold within the state. This comes as a drawing was held for the then-jackpot of $565 million. Below were the winning numbers for the Aug. 16 drawing – which apparently no one got all six numbers: 23, 40, 49, 65, 69. PB: 23 The drawing for the $600 million jackpot will be held on Monday, August 18 at 8 p.m. PT. HOW MUCH DO YOU WIN AFTER TAXES? There are 600 millions reasons to dream, especially what you would do with the jackpot money. However, one thing all lottery winners have to take into account is the fact that their prizes will be taxed. So how much do you really get after taxes? It depends on a couple of factors: do you have to pay state taxes where you live? Will you take the lump sum payment or the annuity payout? According to Mega Millions' website, those electing to take the annuity option get one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments. Powerball follows an identical process for paying out its jackpot winners. RELATED: Powerball payout calculator: How much would you get after taxes if you won? This story was reported from Los Angeles. The Source This report used information provided by the California Lottery and Powerball. Solve the daily Crossword
CNET
41 minutes ago
- CNET
I Test Meal Kits for a Living. Here Are 7 Mistakes That Could Cost You Money (and Meals!)
Meal kits have become the love child of "I want to eat something that didn't come from a drive-through" and "I wouldn't know a good recipe if it kissed me on the mouth." Meal kits are perfect for health-conscious folks who've realized that ordering Thai food five nights a week isn't a nutrition plan and for culinary beginners who think "sautéing" is a French dance move. Here's the plot twist: meal kits actually cost about the same as regular groceries these days. Yes, you read that right. Thanks to grocery price inflation, your weekly meal kit subscription might actually be cheaper -- and certainly less hassle -- than wandering the aisles of your local supermarket. But here's where things get interesting (and where most people mess up): Signing up for a meal kit is like buying a gym membership -- the real magic happens when you actually know how to use it. I've taste-tested, chopped, diced and occasionally burned my way through every major meal kit service known to humanity and I've cracked the code on getting maximum deliciousness for your dollar. Whether you're already Team Blue Apron, riding the HelloFresh train, keeping it simple with Factor or getting fancy with Daily Harvest, chances are you're leaving money (and flavor) on the table. The good news? A few insider tricks can transform you from meal kit amateur to subscription ninja, squeezing every last drop of value from your weekly deliveries. Ready to become the meal kit master your kitchen deserves? Let's dive in. Don't miss any of CNET's unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add us as a preferred Google source on Chrome. 7 big meal kit mistakes to avoid 1. Missing out on a meal kit deal or offer EveryPlate has laughably cheap sign-up offers to take advantage of. You can pause or cancel anytime. EveryPlate/Screenshot by CNET First and foremost, you'll want to take advantage of new customer sign-up offers. Most meal kit services allow you to try their goods for deep discounts, up to 70% off and often for several weeks' worth of meals. I've rounded up the best meal delivery deals right now to help you pick. If you're already a meal kit subscriber, there's no rule against pausing it or canceling so you can try another service at one of those dirt-cheap new customer rates. 2. Choosing the wrong size plan Go for the larger plan and you'll have more food for a lower price per serving and tasty meals to last all week. David Watsky/CNET Meal kit costs vary greatly depending on the number of meals and servings you order per week and the delta between them can be enormous. Blue Apron, for instance, breaks down to just $8 a serving if you order the most amount of meals -- four recipes with four servings each -- but jumps to more than $12 per serving if you only get the least -- two recipes with two servings per week. My suggestion is to order a bigger meal plan than you think you'll need and choose recipes that keep in the fridge or freeze well. Do this and you'll have lunch and dinner all figured out for the next day or two. You're already going through the effort to cook, you might as well get more miles out of it and save some money, too. Purple Carrot pricing at a glance. Screenshot by David Watsky/CNET "Meal kit meal planning," you heard it here first. What recipes are good for cooking in large batches and eating later on? Pretty much anything other than seafood and salad recipes, both of which aren't great to freeze after preparing. Speaking of which… 3. Forgetting to cook seafood first Always cook seafood recipes first. If you can't get to it within a day, freeze the raw fish for later. David Watsky/CNET Seafood recipes are always best to cook first because they'll also spoil first. The same goes for other recipes with ingredients that may turn when left uneaten or uncooked, including vegetables, leafy greens, cheese and fresh dairy. Potatoes and other dense vegetables are typically good between four or five days to a full week. Steak and chicken are also pretty hearty and can last several days in the fridge without having their quality compromised. 4. Passing over steak and fish Blue Apron's steak recipes are included in the basic meal plan. David Watsky/CNET When you peruse a weekly meal kit menu, you'll typically have a dozen or so recipes to choose from, sometimes as many as 50 or more. While you should certainly choose recipes that sound good to you and fit your nutrition goals, some recipes will give you more for your money. Steak and seafood recipes are at the top of that list, but anything with a protein (chicken, pork, fish) is typically a better deal. I priced out a few recipes from Blue Apron and EveryPlate to see how much they cost versus buying all the ingredients yourself. Unsurprisingly, the most expensive recipes to make from scratch (i.e., the best deals for a meal kit subscriber) were those featuring steak and seafood. Some meal kit services charge a premium for certain recipes, but many include steak, shrimp, salmon and other seafood as part of the standard plan. On the flip side, avoid recipes with ingredients that are cheap and easy to find at the store, such as simple pasta dishes with no protein or basic soups. If you eat mostly vegetarian, I recommend Purple Carrot, as this 100% plant-based meal kit service has the most interesting meat-free recipes made with high-quality ingredients. 5. Not trusting your instincts Trust your instinct and err on the side of less when it comes to adding salt and spices. You can always put more in but you can't take it out. HelloFresh Recipes are not one size fits all, so trust your instincts. If it seems the recipe calls for what seems like too much salt going into the sauce, it probably is. You can always add more but you can't take any out, so err on the side of caution. The same goes for heat and spice: If you can't handle big hits of habanero or spicy curries, pull back on those elements until you've tasted the finished dish. 6. Ignoring favorite tags Certain recipes get slapped with a customer favorite badge and there's usually a reason why. David Watsky/CNET Most meal kit companies will hit certain recipes with a "fan favorite" label. More often than not, I've enjoyed those dishes and appreciate the recommendation. Services such as HelloFresh and Home Chef use loads of aggregated user reviews and subscriber feedback, so you can trust there is some validity to those markers. Hey, they want you to enjoy the meals just as much as you do. 7. Taking it too seriously Cooking is fun, and meal kits help you become a better cook. Lean into it! 10'It's true: Meal kits are a good way to get you and the family fed for a fair price but they can also be a lot of fun and a good way to sharpen your cooking skills. Never made risotto before? Pounce on those recipes when it comes along on the menu. You might be surprised at how easy it is. When you crack open a meal kit, crack open a bottle of wine too, or pour yourself a beer, cocktail or mocktail and put on music or a favorite podcast. Cooking can be fun and even settle your nerves if you're in the right headspace. If you're not in the right headspace, make the kids cook.
