YORK COUNTY, S.C. — The Clover School District announced it will change start times for middle and high school students after buses were overcrowded during the first week of school.
The district said that over 1,000 additional students who weren't registered rose the buses to school Monday. Now, middle schools will start at 8 a.m., while high school students will start at 9 a.m. each day.
Those changes will take effect Monday, Aug. 23.
An ongoing bus driver shortage has also caused issues with overcrowding on buses. Curt Macysyn, the executive director of the National School Transportation Association, said the pandemic made the existing shortage worse.
"All indications are there is a bus driver shortage," Macysyn said. "We have seen this occur over the past several years, but certainly, with the onset of COVID-19 and the challenges of the pandemic, it certainly exacerbated the condition this year."
In Lancaster County, drivers were being offered up to $20 an hour with other incentives for new drivers. The district was offering a one-time $1,000 bonus across the county, with Indian Land drivers who were on the job for 30 days being eligible for a $2,500 bonus.
Tanya Mendis is digging into overcrowded school buses in Clover. Her full report will air Thursday during WCNC Charlotte News at 6.
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