On Monday morning, Garland and Plano ISD reported bus route delays as a result of understaffing.
The school districts have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases among teachers and staff since returning after the winter break.
Plano ISD alerted parents through texts, emails, and phone calls regarding its bus delays. Parents were urged to drive their children to school if they typically ride the bus.
According to WFAA News, the school district has experienced an issue with staffing for quite some time but is taking steps to hire and train bus drivers to resolve the shortage.
The transportation department for Garland ISD tweeted that the Bus 804 Brandenburg/Vial bus route was running about 30-45 minutes behind. The South Garland High School had a route delayed about 90 minutes.
The school district was forced to utilize authorized mechanics and other workers in the transportation department to assist with transporting children to the schools.
Several schools are making an effort to ensure that students are receiving their education safely.
In the Rio Vista ISD, officials made the decision to close the schools on Monday and Tuesday due to inadequate staffing.
Some districts, such as Richardson ISD, are reinforcing their mask requirements to provide safety. Last week, Lancaster ISD students returned from the holiday break to virtual learning for the week to minimize more cases.
In the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and Dallas ISD areas, substitutes will receive pay incentives to help with the insufficiency of substitutes. They will be rewarded with an additional $50 for every week they assist the district until February 4.
