Robbinsdale School Superintendent: Staffing Shortages Continue to Impact District
Robbinsdale School District Superintendent David Engstrom introduced himself to the Robbinsdale City Council this week and talked about some of the big issues impacting the district.
One of them, he said, is a shortage of staff and bus drivers.
“We are at 6-7 percent of unfilled positions in the district right now, and at it’s worst, we’re having a tough time having subs filling in for teachers when they couldn’t be here,” said Engstrom.
Engstrom said some of the worst shortages came a few weeks ago during the peak of the omicron variant.
The district also continues to cope with a school bus driver shortage. It has cut routes and has vans in place to help pick up students when routes are canceled.
“We have yet to have a day, even though we are fully staffed, where every route has run because we still have sick bus drivers even though we have reduced the number of routes,” said Engstrom.
Engstrom says one solution that’s being discussed is an opt-in transportation procedure that allows routes to be created where they are needed most.
Listen to the full meeting here.
