EDITORS NOTE: Since the original reporting of this story on Sept. 14, Cheatham County Schools has now reinstated the school bus route they previously canceled. Students can start riding the bus on that route again Sept. 16.
Instead of eating in his school's lunchroom, Ryker, 5, is in his living room at home because he doesn't have a way to get to school.
"He’s been telling me all morning, 'Mommy, I should be at school, I should be at school.' I can’t take him because I have no way to take him there. It’s too far to walk. I have nobody else to turn to," said Kellie Hernandez, Ryker's mother.
Herandez found out late Tuesday night that a bus driver shortage forced Cheatham County Schools to cancel her son's bus route, effective the very next day.
"Not even a day’s notice. I mean 4:30 in the afternoon and then we’re just supposed to come up with something magically out of the blue?" asked Hernandez. "It’s not right, and it’s not fair to the parents."
It's not that his mother doesn't want to take him to school, she just can't.
"We have one car. We’re a one-car family. My husband works from 6:15 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon," she said.
She also doesn't have anyone else in her life who could give Ryker a ride.
"We just moved here in February, so we don’t really know anybody besides the neighbor. I have nobody else to depend on or turn to," said Hernandez.
Cheatham County Schools declined to talk to NewsChannel 5 on camera, but sent us the following statement:
The Cheatham County School District has been impacted by the shortage of bus drivers similar to many other school districts across the nation. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience that our route closures have caused our families. Many of our bus drivers are routinely driving extra/double routes to help us avoid shutting down any routes. We continue to work diligently on ways to recruit and retain bus drivers, and we offer a number of incentives to encourage individuals to come drive with us.
The district's response is of little consequence to Hernandez.
"We’re trying to see if, for the interim, we can borrow a vehicle from my husband’s work so that he can get to and from work, and I can get Ryker to and from school. But other than that, right now, we don’t know," said Hernandez.
She also can't help but think there are plenty of other kids sitting in living rooms because of this too.
"Can I promise my son’s going to be at school tomorrow? I can’t. Am I going to try to get him to school tomorrow? Of course I’m going to try. But I can’t promise he will be there because I can’t promise I’ll have a way to get him there," said Hernandez.
The only way to fix the issue is to hire more drivers. The district is welcoming all applicants who qualify.
