Nantucket Public Schools Strike Deal With New Bus Operator To Address Driver Shortage

A severe bus driver shortage has plagued the Nantucket Public Schools for more than a year, but some relief may be on the horizon.

Superintendent Elizabeth Hallett announced Tuesday that the school district has reached an agreement with a new transportation company to replace its existing contractor, the Cape Cod Collaborative, which has been responsible for recruiting, hiring, and retaining Nantucket's school bus drivers. The agreement will add three new bus drivers to the district. 

"NPS has reached a new agreement with BB Bus, LLC, a transportation company that will bring additional drivers to our district," Hallett wrote in a message to the school community. "Three additional drivers are joining us and this increase in capacity will mean more buses on the road and more transportation options for our families."

School officials are now reviewing the district's existing routes and planning the transition with BB Bus, but are asking parents to keep their existing transportation plans in place for now.

According to public corporate filings with the Massachusetts Secretary of State, BB Bus is registered to Nantucket Christopher Boynton, of Friendship Lane on Nantucket. Boynton is the CEO and owner of Barrett's Tours.

Since the start of the 2026-27 school year, the bus driver shortage has forced the district to implement "last resort" policies, including not offering bus service to all students living within two miles of the school they attend, or any students in grades 7 through 12, regardless of how far they live from the schools. The public schools also collaborated with the Nantucket Regional Transit Authority in a last ditch attempt to secure additional bus service, and even contemplated calling in the National Guard to assist with the situation. 

"We know this fall has asked a lot of you, and we are grateful for your patience, flexibility and the many ways you've helped one another get students to school," Hallett stated. "We especially want to thank the Nantucket Regional Transit Authority (NRTA) for its partnership in helping students get to and from school. We are proud of how our community has come together to support students and look forward to restoring transportation services for all families."

Over the summer, the Cape Cod Collaborative acknowledged that it could not find drivers for Nantucket, and the district decided to put the bus services contract out to bid, searching for another provider that might be able to solve the problem. Now, it appears, that the long-awaited solution could be imminent with BB Bus.