FILE PHOTO The Marshalltown Community School District Transportation Department is facing an increased number of students requiring bus rides, and a decreased number of drivers for the beginning of the 2023-24 school year.

The Marshalltown Community School District Transportation Department is gearing up for the beginning of the school year on Aug. 23.

While there are no new rules to take into consideration this year, Transportation Director Rex Kozak is working hard to ensure the current bus routes are maintained. The department is nine drivers short, which makes that task more challenging. Last year, Kozak said they were only missing six drivers, but were able to cover the routes with substitutes.

“I am really trying to maintain the routes and get emails out to families about busing, pickup times and locations,” he said.

Kozak encouraged families who are expecting school bus service to download the Stop Finder Parent app.

“That will set up alerts letting you know the bus is coming,” he said. “It does a nice job of keeping parents informed.”

The shortage of drivers also gives Kozak the challenge of keeping the rides short, along with the 10 percent increase of busing requests.

“The longest we want anyone to ride a bus is one hour,” he said. “Which means we have to get creative about how we do some things.”

Kozak is also looking for eight additional bus monitors — people to help watch the children while drivers concentrate on the road. Having children maintain their behavior while on the bus would be an advantage for both the monitor and the driver.

“Students need to be respectful of the driver’s instructions,” he said.

One of the big rules Kozak said students need to be aware of is wearing seat belts on the six buses equipped with such.

“The families need to remember that. The kids need to remember that,” he said.

Kozak also took the time to remind parents about the distance limitations. Students living within two miles of the elementary schools and Miller Middle School, and three miles within Marshalltown High School are not eligible for bus rides to and from. If a family is barely within that limit, he suggested they try to find a family member or friend to provide the transportation.

Another possible solution to such scenarios is the partnership between the school district and Marshalltown Municipal Transit this year.

“We will provide passes to students if they can’t afford a pass,” Kozak said.

To obtain a pass, he said parents should come see him at Marshalltown Schools Transportation, 1102 E. Nevada St., for an application. Those who qualify will receive monthly passes to use the city bus.

“We are trying to do everything we can to get the kids to school and get these roadblocks out of the way so they can have a successful year,” Kozak said.

Knowing the financial hardship many Marshalltown households are going through, Kozak said if families find themselves living in a hotel, they should let him know.

“We have seen that go up, and that goes with the economy,” he said. “We can get transportation lined up to go to hotels, as well. Unfortunately, some families need transportation to help them get back on their feet. We want families to know we are here to help them.”

——

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.