HALL COUNTY, Ga. — School districts across Georgia are facing long delays in receiving new school buses. 11Alive learned the problem stems from supply chain issues that bus manufacturers are dealing with.
We reached out to 32 school districts. Of those that got back to us in time, 12 reported seeing delays.
Hall County Schools seemed to be having the most problems.
"We have quite a few buses that need attention," said Clay Hobbs, the transportation director. "And so, we're busy from six in the morning until five in the afternoon and sometimes later than that."
It's all in an effort to make sure students have buses that work. Hobbs said their district has an older fleet. That's why they can't wait much longer for new buses.
"Once they reach a certain age, they begin to break down more often," Hobbs said.
Hobbs said a few of the buses in the fleet have had that issue. So, after altering the order, the district ordered 12 new buses. They'll even have air conditioning on them for the first time in Hall County history.
"It was originally due to be completed and delivered right about now," Hobbs said. "And we're now told that that delivery will probably be in 2025. And we can't really afford to wait that long."
They're not alone. The further you get away from Fulton County, the worse the delays seem to get for the school systems.
But Coweta County Schools Public Information Officer Dean Jackson said the impacts aren't as bad there.
"Our transportation department ordered about 15 buses earlier this year," Jackson said.
Jackson said they're still waiting on 10 special needs buses. However, this is not impacting their routes. He's just hoping the delays don't get worse.
"If this were to persist for another year or more, it might start to affect us," Jackson said.
11Alive reached out to three manufacturers for the school districts: Blue Bird, Thomas, and Integrated Coach. Only two sent statements.
A rep from Thomas said the following:
"Thomas Built proudly manufactures our buses in High Point, NC.
Like many other manufacturers, we are facing ongoing supply chain challenges which have affected our production, resulting in delays in delivering school buses to our valued customers, including those in Georgia.
Supply chain disruptions can be attributed to a combination of factors. While demand for school buses remains strong, the global supply chain faces strain from logistical challenges, increased demand for raw materials and labor shortages. COVID-19 exacerbated these issues, leading to further delays.
It's also important to note that, aside from supply chain challenges, school districts across the country have received an influx of recent government funding, including funding from the EPA's Clean School Bus program. Round one (2022 CSB Rebates) of this program alone awarded up to $965 million to fund school bus replacements at nearly 400 schools across the country.
This combination of supply chain disruptions and robust demand has created a unique set of challenges.
We understand the importance of addressing these challenges promptly and are actively working on implementing solutions to expedite school bus production and delivery processes, all while maintaining our high standards of quality and safety. Just last year we announced a third shift expansion at our C2 facility in High Point which is, as of now, fully staffed to accommodate current and future demand. It’s also important to note that as a subsidiary of Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), we are able to leverage the full power of the Daimler Truck network and supply chain to alleviate these (and any additional) supply chain challenges."
An IC representative said the following:
“While the entire commercial vehicle industry continues to experience unprecedented disruptions to its supply chain, IC Bus has built more than 80% of the orders received in the State of Georgia and the remaining buses are scheduled to be built by the end of the year. This is a testament to the diligent work of the IC Bus manufacturing team and dealer partners.”
The Georgia Department of Education said the state allocated enough funds for districts statewide to purchase over 1,700 buses, but they need to be ordered by 2025.
There's no word on a supply chain solution. Some districts are improvising.
"We've just purchased some more used buses," Hobbs said.
For now, they'll just have to be patient like the students at the bus stop.