SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
LOUDOUNNOW.COM
PAGE 11
Driver shortage continued from page 3 occur, district staff members with commercial driver’s licenses will step in and cover routes. The issue has plagued the district since before the pandemic began, and partially to blame is the nature of the job. “Driving a school bus is a highly technical job that requires extensive training, background check, drug testing, etc. … Additionally, it’s not a full time, 8-hour job with most drivers working three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon with a mid-day break, thus resulting in a smaller paycheck than a normal eight-hour position, even if that position pays a lower wage,” Byard said in an email to Loudoun Now. The district has gone to great lengths to entice new bus drivers. The starting wage was increased to $22.16 per hour, and drivers are given a $2,500 signing bonus. Drivers are also being guaranteed an increased number of hours. To appeal to parents, the district allows drivers to bring their children along on their routes. There are hiring events twice a month at the district’s training center.
“Driving a school bus is a highly technical job that requires extensive training, background check, drug testing, etc. …” — Wayde Byard, LCPS Public Information Officer
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School districts across the nation face similar shortages, as drivers retired or found other work when schools closed during the pandemic. In Massachusetts, members of the National Guard are training to drive school buses. Such a measure isn’t an immediate fix, as training for a commercial driver’s license can take several weeks. The district uses the app, Here Comes the Bus, for families to track their buses’ arrival times and possible scheduling changes. Information about bus driver positions is available at lcps.org/Page/217574. n
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