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Students in Baltimore were expecting to return to school smoothly on Monday after having their classes disrupted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic for almost a year, but that was far from the case. With the city facing a potential bus driver shortage and lack of adequate air conditioning, students were met with challenges on their first day back. According to The Baltimore Sun, “30 bus drivers from the city school system called out of work on Monday leaving nearly 300 students stranded on the first day of the fall semester.”
The report notes that the school system uses third-party contractors to hire drivers for their transportation services. It’s still unclear as to what caused the massive call-out.
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“We’re working hard,” the company’s spokesperson André Riley said of the issue. “It’s still a great first day of school. We’re going to work hard to resolve this and get everyone back on track.” Baltimore’s school system provides transportation services to around 3,800 students, around 8% of whom were affected by the unforeseen call-outs.
While the city struggles to provide more bus drivers, Baltimore schools are grappling with the hot summer temperatures. Some students were even forced to go home early due to the school’s lack of adequate air conditioning. The Baltimore Sun noted that nearly 24 city schools were dismissed early on Monday as classrooms in a majority of the city reached dangerous temperatures of 85 degrees or more. “Nearly 13% of all city schools — do not have air conditioning units, and three more have units that need repair,” the report adds.
Sonja Santelises, the school system’s leader, issued a statement about the ordeal telling families that they “understand the concerns and frustrations” related to the city’s lack of air-conditioning.
