WILMINGTON, N.C. — One month into the school year, New Hanover County Schools Superintendent Chris Barnes says the district has seen both progress and growing pains. In November, voters will play a role in determining what the next chapter looks like.
“We had challenges globally on things like concerns about mold remediation and concerns about transportation, things that normally come up at the beginning of a school year,” Barnes said.
The district started the year with 17 vacant bus driver positions, forcing 54 double routes in which a single driver completes one route before returning to serve another. Barnes says the number of vacancies is now down to about 10, but the work is not done. He noted that all NHCS bus drivers are full-time employees with benefits, and the district has been working to shorten the certification timeline to bring new hires on faster…