Wausau Pilot & Review
UPDATE: Two hours after the email to Horace Mann parents, the district officially announced that Wausau schools will hold virtual classes on Monday. See our story here.
Parents of some students at Horace Mann Middle School in Wausau are scrambling to find transportation for Monday after an announcement Sunday that two bus routes do not have enough drivers.
An email was distributed at about 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 9 to parents of Horace Mann students alerting them to the disruption.
“We were notified that First Student does not have enough drivers due to COVID to run routes on Monday, January 10, 2022 for buses 38 and 50,” the email reads. “This means that all students who ride these buses need to find an alternate way to school and home.”
Parents spoke out on social media and in emails to Wausau Pilot & Review expressing their frustration at the short timeline. A surge of coronavirus infections is impacting bus service at school districts around the country, forcing route cancelations in many areas, according to media reports from throughout the nation.
Kasha Oelke, in a response to Wausau Pilot & Review’s Facebook post, asked parents to weigh in on the issue and share thoughts with school officials.
“Feel free to tell them WSD if you are disgusted with the way Wausau School Board is handling Covid by basically ignoring it,” she wrote, sharing a link to a comment form. “Feedback from the community is vital.”
In the same email, administrators reminded parents of a family night set for Monday evening at the school, despite rising COVID numbers in the area.
First Student or Horace Mann will send updates for Tuesday, the email reads.
