A college district in Georgia not too long ago introduced that it was planning to extend the hourly wage for bus drivers, which locations their hourly close to the identical quantity that many lecturers within the district make.
The Hall County School District this month issued an alert that it had a direct want for bus drivers. The announcement stated that new bus drivers would obtain a bonus of as much as $1,000 and hourly pay was listed at $26-plus per hour. The alert additionally stated that bus drivers would obtain full-time advantages, paid sick days and summers off with a paycheck.
Hall County School District Public Relations Manager Stan Lewis stated in an e mail to Newsweek on Friday that following a brand new price range, the district pays lecturers with a school diploma a beginning wage of $47,598. He stated the wage breaks right down to $31.31 per hour, based mostly on 190 days of labor, with eight hours every day.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many faculty districts throughout the nation have confronted issued with staffing shortages, together with a scarcity of bus drivers.
While talking with WSB-TV on Friday, Hall County Schools Director of Communications Stan Lewis stated that regardless of the pay bump for brand spanking new drivers, many lecturers within the district will proceed to make more cash yearly, as a consequence of bus drivers working much less hours per day.
The Hall County School District web site says that there are 37 colleges within the district, together with 20 elementary colleges and 7 excessive colleges. In 2021, the district was dwelling to about 26,843 college students, 2,184 lecturers and 1,255 workers members, in line with the web site.
In January, the U.S. Department of Transportation and Department of Education introduced that they have been taking steps to assist alleviate bus driver shortages by quickly waiving a portion of the industrial driver’s license (CDL) abilities check.
“We’ve heard from educators and parents that labor shortages, particularly of bus drivers, are a roadblock to keeping kids in schools,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona stated in an announcement.
“Today’s announcement will give states the flexibility they need to help increase the pool of drivers, who are a key part of the school community, and get kids to school safely each day where students learn best,”
According to WTOL information in Ohio, a number of faculty districts, such because the Bowling Green School District, are going through driver shortages forward of the brand new faculty 12 months. Similarly, WTVM information in Georgia reported that the Harris County School District is 14 drivers quick however plans to carry again some retired staff and mix routes.
Correction 7/22/2022, 12:40 p.m. ET: The story and headline have been adjusted to say that the hourly pay for varsity bus drivers places them close to what lecturers are paid.