September 16, 2026
Dear Princeton Families,
I want to make you aware of a transportation challenge that could impact some of our bus routes this school year.
Princeton transports over 5,200 students to and from school daily. Bussing is an important advantage we provide to our families through our transportation vendors, including First Student, Inc.
School districts across the country continue to face a shortage of qualified bus drivers. The Ohio Capital Journal reported this week that Ohio has a 15% daily school bus shortage statewide.
Through our partnership with our transportation providers, Princeton has been fortunate to avoid significant disruptions from this shortage to date. Our regular drivers have continued to serve our students each day, and when drivers have been absent, First Student has worked with us to adjust assignments and cover routes.
Unfortunately, we are now experiencing a shortage of substitute drivers available to cover routes when a regular driver is absent.
First Student continues to actively recruit and hire additional substitute drivers. In the meantime, some substitute drivers are coming from outside the Princeton area to help us maintain service. While these drivers are qualified to transport our students, they may not be as familiar with our neighborhoods, streets, bus stops, and routes. As a result, families may experience delays when a substitute driver is assigned.
We recognize how important dependable transportation is to our families. A canceled or significantly delayed bus route can disrupt an entire family's morning or afternoon, and we do not take that impact lightly.
Our team is working closely with First Student to explore every available option to keep buses running. We will continue moving available drivers between routes and making other adjustments whenever possible. However, we also want to be transparent with you that there may be days when we simply do not have a driver available and must cancel a route. In case that happens, we encourage you to plan alternative options or carpooling groups.
If cancellations or delays occur, our goal is to notify affected parents and students as early as possible so families have as much time as possible to make alternate transportation arrangements. In some circumstances, particularly with last-minute driver absences, advance notice may be limited.
Please know that First Student continues to work to recruit additional substitute drivers, and Princeton is working alongside them to identify solutions that minimize disruptions for our students and families.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this challenge. Most importantly, thank you for your partnership as we work to provide safe and reliable transportation for our students each day.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mari E. Phillips
Superintendent
Princeton City Schools