Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced Monday he is activating the National Guard to help cities and towns across Massachusetts with school transportation. The order makes up to 250 personnel available, the governor's office said. The move, according to the governor's office, comes in response to requests from local communities for assistance with school transportation as the 2021-2022 school year is underway.Beginning with training on Tuesday, 90 guard members will prepare for service in Chelsea, Lawrence, Lowell and Lynn, the governor's office said."We've had conversations with colleagues in municipal governments about the issue with drivers, but nobody was really sure where it was going to land," Baker said. "Once it became clear that there were going to be communities that were shorthanded, wasn't going to be a vehicle issue, but an issue with CDLs, we started talking to the Guard."Baker said the Guard has people who drive trucks and have commercial driver's licenses."We asked a bunch of communities if they'd be interested in having Guard people drive vehicles for them, especially the smaller buses, and a bunch of communities said if you can figure out the legal issues and the paperwork and all the rest, that would be great," Baker said.The Guard personnel will be available to serve as drivers of school transport vans known as 7D vehicles to address staffing shortages in certain districts. The 7D vehicles are typically smaller school transport vans such as a Ford Transit. School districts and transportation companies across Massachusetts and the United States have struggled to find enough drivers to staff school buses needed to get children to and from schools. NRT Bus Company in Haverhill, Massachusetts, which provides school transportation to about 150 school districts, told Boston sister station WCVB last month it has lost approximately 10% of its drivers."We're down about 370," John McCarthy, the CEO of the bus company said last week. "We do have about 100 drivers in the pipeline, but we're not where we'd like to be for the start of school. McCarthy said the pandemic magnified an already growing shortage of drivers due to a number of factors."Amazon, demand, and just folks retiring out of the school bus industry," McCarthy said. "Not able to replace those folks as quickly as we would like."All activated guard personnel will complete vehicle training to ensure the safety of children and families, the governor's office said."Drivers will meet all statutory requirements for 7D drivers," the statement said. "Throughout the mission, the guard will comply with all health and safety measures."
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced Monday he is activating the National Guard to help cities and towns across Massachusetts with school transportation.
The order makes up to 250 personnel available, the governor's office said.
The move, according to the governor's office, comes in response to requests from local communities for assistance with school transportation as the 2021-2022 school year is underway.
Beginning with training on Tuesday, 90 guard members will prepare for service in Chelsea, Lawrence, Lowell and Lynn, the governor's office said.
"We've had conversations with colleagues in municipal governments about the issue with drivers, but nobody was really sure where it was going to land," Baker said. "Once it became clear that there were going to be communities that were shorthanded, wasn't going to be a vehicle issue, but an issue with CDLs, we started talking to the Guard."
Baker said the Guard has people who drive trucks and have commercial driver's licenses.
"We asked a bunch of communities if they'd be interested in having Guard people drive vehicles for them, especially the smaller buses, and a bunch of communities said if you can figure out the legal issues and the paperwork and all the rest, that would be great," Baker said.
The Guard personnel will be available to serve as drivers of school transport vans known as 7D vehicles to address staffing shortages in certain districts.
The 7D vehicles are typically smaller school transport vans such as a Ford Transit.
School districts and transportation companies across Massachusetts and the United States have struggled to find enough drivers to staff school buses needed to get children to and from schools.
NRT Bus Company in Haverhill, Massachusetts, which provides school transportation to about 150 school districts, told Boston sister station WCVB last month it has lost approximately 10% of its drivers.
"We're down about 370," John McCarthy, the CEO of the bus company said last week. "We do have about 100 drivers in the pipeline, but we're not where we'd like to be for the start of school.
McCarthy said the pandemic magnified an already growing shortage of drivers due to a number of factors.
"Amazon, demand, and just folks retiring out of the school bus industry," McCarthy said. "Not able to replace those folks as quickly as we would like."
All activated guard personnel will complete vehicle training to ensure the safety of children and families, the governor's office said.
"Drivers will meet all statutory requirements for 7D drivers," the statement said. "Throughout the mission, the guard will comply with all health and safety measures."
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