90 school bus drivers who don't want vaccines quit, CPS offering $1,000 to students without rides
CHICAGO - Chicago's new COVID-19 vaccine requirement has prompted a lot of school bus drivers to quit.
Chicago Public Schools said Sunday that 90 bus drivers quit between August 23-27. About 70 of those drivers quit on the same day.
"According to the bus companies, the rush of resignations was likely driven by the vaccination requirements," the school district said.
Like many districts across the country, CPS had anticipated a shortage of bus drivers before the city announced vaccination requirements. They had planned to work around the shortage by scheduling earlier pickups. But the loss of another 10 percent of drivers has left 2,100 students without a ride.
The district's answer? To pay students to find their own way: $1,000 for the first two weeks of school and $500 a month after that.
CPS said that the resignations has left the district with 770 school bus drivers. Ideally, they need another 500 more.