Gov. Walz’s Policies leaving Parents to fend for themselves
With a school bus driver shortage affecting school districts throughout the state, Governor
Walz’s administration continues to leave parents scrambling to pick up the pieces. The
Minnesota Reformer recently reported that some parents are upset about their children waiting
upwards of an hour for the school bus.
For working and single parents, the unpredictability has disrupted their daily lives with many
parents being forced to adjust their routines. Some parents have forgone waiting for the bus and
instead drive their kids to school rather than wait and risk being late for work. Other parents with
more limited options have had to opt for jobs that offer flexible schedules to deal with the
unreliable pick-up and drop-off times.
The bus driver shortage is further exacerbated by the state’s stringent laws, which prohibit
drivers from collecting unemployment during the summer months and week-long holidays. This
has caused some districts to get creative in how it serves the needs of students in order to get
them to and from school. One Brooklyn Center District doesn’t want its elementary students to
fall behind and become disproportionately affected by the shortage, so it has employed a fleet of
minivans to skirt the commercial driver’s license requirement and chauffeur students.
Minnesota families thought they were getting a leader who would prioritize education, but
instead Governor Walz continues to leave parents and students in the dust. His lackluster
performance during his first-term has soured the idea of his re-election, and many parents are
ready for a new leader who, unlike Governor Walz, is willing to go to work and improve
education in Minnesota.