It has been brought to our attention that some may have questions regarding transportation for our middle school athletes. We have responded to those concerns directly, but want to ensure we provide transparent and accurate information for our community, as well as an opportunity to apply for available ESD positions, if anyone is interested.
Like many districts across Washington, Enumclaw School District has been actively working to hire additional bus drivers as shortages persist and drivers move in and out of the workforce. To best serve students, transportation is prioritized in the following order: daily transportation to and from school, high school athletic events and activities, and middle school athletics.
We are committed to supporting our middle school athletes, and the vast majority of athletic routes have been successfully covered. To date, more than 25 athletic routes have been completed this year, with only two at TMMS and one at EMS requiring cancellation. In some sports, increased student participation means more than one bus is needed for a single event, such as when both the EMS and TMMS track teams have an event at the same time and require four buses to transport athletes. When a route cannot be covered internally, we also contact charter companies. In this case, a charter was contacted but did not have a driver available, which unfortunately resulted in the cancellation.
The closure of the White River Bridge can further complicate coverage. We continue to work in close partnership with White River School District to minimize impacts. For example, Enumclaw transports students to the bridge, where White River provides continuation to athletic events in Pierce County. In turn, Enumclaw assists White River by transporting their students from the walking bridge to practices and events in King County, such as golf.
Fortunately, in the past week, we have welcomed two new substitute drivers. Training for new drivers without prior certification typically requires four to six weeks, which can temporarily limit coverage until the training is completed.
We encourage community members interested in supporting students as a substitute driver to apply here: https://enumclawjobs.hrmplus.net/
We appreciate the community’s patience and support as we work diligently to meet transportation needs amid ongoing statewide driver shortages and the added challenges of the unexpected bridge closure. If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your student’s coach, the school office, or our district office.
