GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Gaston County Schools will kick off the school year with the lowest teacher vacancy rate in three years, but spots still need to be filled, especially for bus drivers.
For several years, the school district has not been able to meet the demand for bus drivers, the Gaston Gazette reported.
To make up for the gap in bus drivers, the district changed to a two-tier model for routes. This allows drivers to complete an elementary school route and a middle and high school route each day.
According to the district, Gaston County Schools will start the school year with 25 bus driver vacancies — an average number for the district.
However, they’ll also go into the new year with 49 teaching vacancies, down from 115 vacancies in 2023.
A spokesperson with the district says job fairs and other recruitment activities contributed to the new low rate.
Students in Gaston County return to school Wednesday.
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