Morning transportation will begin Monday for Lehighton Area School District elementary students who live up to and including 5th Street in the borough.

The district’s board of directors took official action on the item Monday night. Pickup locations will be located at Second and Coal streets, Second and Iron streets, and Second and Bridge streets.

“We’d like to thank Leon for accommodating us as best he can to get as many students as possible to school,” board President Larry Stern said. “We wish we could do better than just K-5, but this is a step in the right direction.”

In late August, Lehighton’s board passed a motion allowing for up to $800,000 to be spent on student busing with George’s Transportation Co. This came after nonmandated transportation was not included in the district’s 2020-21 budget. The transportation plan, however, did not call for busing students who live in Lehighton Borough.

The morning bus runs will cost, at most, an additional $50 per day.

Director David Bradley has been vocal about calling for all students to have the option to be bused in both the morning and afternoon.

“I don’t understand how busing got put on the chopping block in the first place and then, when it was restored, how busing sports teams took precedent to busing our students living in the borough,” Bradley said.

Leon George, president of George’s Transportation, said Monday, he has the ability to getting borough students bused in the morning, but the afternoon would be a different story.

“I don’t know where we would come up with the manpower,” George said. “Bus drivers are scarce. We are scratching every day. We lost some drivers during the pandemic. We’re all in troubled times. In the past, senior citizens used to be running through the door looking to drive bus for something to do after retirement. They don’t want to risk their health right now.”

Leon’s wife, Danielle, a manager with the company, said while they have been interviewing, getting to the finish line has been tough.

“It’s not just getting the CDL license, you have to go through classes for the school bus portion of it,” she said. “Sometimes you get through everything and the person realizes they are just not cut out for it.”

Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver said around 15 students living in the borough have responded so far indicating they are interested in using the bus offering in the morning. Two of the students, he added, are currently attending classes virtually but plan to switch to in-person instruction.

“We appreciate the opportunity Leon presented us and his thinking outside the box to make it possible,” Cleaver said. “Anytime there is a chance to try to lower costs, he goes above and beyond to make everything work. We are very fortunate to have him be our bus contractor.”

Earlier in the meeting, Bradley called for a motion to reinstitute busing in the afternoon as well for students living in the borough. It failed by a 5-3 vote.

“I have no problem,” Director Rita Spinelli said, “looking into it, but right now, according to Mr. George, it would be a hardship for him.

“We are trying to put in as much as we can, as soon as we can.”