TULSA, Okla. — Union Public Schools is working to make sure they do not have to cut bus routes again.

Charlie Bushyhead, associate superintendent at Union Public Schools, explains while the students were spending time in the sun, the school spent the summer coming up with new ways to keep buses running.

“We’ve taken some steps to improve upon our driver availability because that was what happened, we didn’t have enough drivers to cover all our routes last year,” said Bushyhead.

The district is creating a more positive work environment and making sure drivers feel valued. Bushyhead says they’re renovating the transportation area and breakroom and each driver got a 2.4 percent raise this year.

“They also received another dollar per hour on top of that and all the drivers that qualify will get a 5 percent stipend in mid July,” said Bushyhead.

As for busses, the district hired a consulting firm to help re-route the district. Every bus stop and route is now different.

“We’re gonna combine some routes like the 9th grade and high school. Even though they’re two different campuses, their times allow us to put both schools on the busses. This helps us not have to enter neighborhoods so often,” said Bushyhead.

He says the new routes should not increase commute time from bus stops, to schools, but it could increase the time students take walking to the bus stop.

“We are reviewing the walking distance from students homes to the bus and looking at if there are more efficiencies we can do. I can’t say it won’t impact that. It’s possible some students will have to walk less distance, and it’s possible it will increase a little, but we try to keep it safe so kids are staying off the main roads,” said Bushyhead.

However, re-routing means there will be more students on each bus and the district says elementary students living within one mile of their school, and secondary students from 6th to 12th grade within one and a half miles of school, may lose bus service.

Exceptions will be allowed for verified safety concerns or special education needs.

Students may also have to sit three to a seat.

“The biggest thing I can ask of our parents is be patient, especially those first couple weeks because we are trying to start a new transportation system, which we do every year for our little small city,” said Bushyhead.

Bushyhead says the district will do its best to make sure every students has the option to ride the bus.