Adjusting to the new school year

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Schools in Bay County are still getting adjusted to the first week of classes.

Transportation is one thing students are working through.

On Wednesday, buses were a little behind as everyone is adjusting to the schedule.

”We’re extra cautious on the first day of school,” Josh Balkom, Executive Director of Operational Support Services, said. “Drivers are learning their students. A lot of our students have never been on a school bus before. They don’t know where their stop is located. Many don’t know their address, so we’re having to be extra careful.”

Parents who have questions about their child’s bus route can find information on them here.

Bay District Schools are also hiring for several positions.

As kids are learning which bus to take every day, Bay District Schools officials say there is an immediate need for more drivers.

“We have several openings right now in our transportation department for drivers,” Balkom said. “In fact we started the school year short drivers, below the number of routes that we have. So we’re having to cover those routes with office staff. They have 95 routes currently, but they’re going to condense that a little bit. To open up some space for a couple additional drivers that they need in a different area.”

You can apply for positions on the Bay District Schools career site.

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