Superintendents in Michigan and across the nation say there’s a critical shortage of bus drivers. Students are now back in the classroom, but districts across the state are still searching for drivers and finding new ways to recruit.
The bus driver shortage has been an ongoing issue, and there have been few signs it’s getting better.
“I would suggest in the last five years, it’s intensified,” says Morley-Stanwood Community Schools Superintendent Roger Cole.
The Michigan Department of Education placed bus drivers on their critical shortage list of public school jobs in 2016. The COVID-19 pandemic has added more pressure on the problem.
“Last year we had just one sub that felt comfortable coming in and still driving during the pandemic. So that put myself and my secretary, Karen, on the road quite a bit,” says Lisa Cole, Chippewa Hills School District Transportation Supervisor.
Karen had let her licensing lapse and was forced to go through the training and testing for her license again in order to fill in. Lisa says the testing requirements are part of the problem.
“Some of the state testing we have to go through as bus drivers, I believe, is a little more in depth than what bus driving entails,” she says.
Lisa Cole fills in as a driver because she has no substitute drivers – a tough position to fill. They often work a few hours with little to no benefits.
Superintendents have also swapped their desks for the driver’s seat. Reed City Area Public Schools Superintendent Michael Sweet has been a licensed bus driver for most of his administrative career.
“I wanted to get kids home because lots of time if things were going on you had to double up routes or you might have to hold kids after school for a couple hours before another bus driver became available,” says Sweet.
Sweet – like every driver – has a commercial drivers license and school bus endorsement to be able to drive a bus.
Drivers not only have a CDL and school bus endorsement. They need a Class A or B license with a passenger endorsement. They also must pass written exams and complete up to eighteen hours of training. That’s all before getting behind the wheel.
“We have at least 17 hours on the road experience of me going with them when they’re driving the bus,” says Teresa Bohr, First Student LLC Bus Driver and Trainer. “They learn how to do railroads, they learn how to do child stops. By the time I’m ready to send them to the state, they know everything.”
First Student L.L.C. in Harrison spent the summer recruiting. They even created shirts with, “Ask me about my job?” slogans written on them. They even offer to let people drive the bus.
“I say to them, come and try it,” says Bohr. “ I’ll take you around the parking lot. A lot of them say I can’t handle that bus. Yes, it’s 40 foot long. So what?”
Bohr was a Clare County Sheriff’s Deputy before she retired at 55. She was working as a school resource officer when she was asked if she wanted to drive school busses in retirement.
“I thought, that’s not a bad gig because I’m already dealing with the kids,” she says. “I know the families already. I get summers off. Snow days off. Why not? So I gave it a try. And now we’re here.”
First Student even offers the job to parents who wish to drive and have their kids ride along.
The average pay rate for a part time bus driver is $16 in Michigan. Some schools will now pay holidays and offer extra hours. They may even pay for training. Though all those added incentives may not be enough.
It can be a stressful job, carrying the most precious of cargo. Most drivers will say that it can also be one of the most rewarding jobs out there.
“You form a relationship with the children and you know a lot of times when that relationship forms you can tell when kids are having a bad day and you can give them a little word of encouragement,” says Lisa Cole.
As school resumes, people are reminded to follow the rules of the road when it comes to school bus safety. It could save a life.
“Anytime somebody goes past your stop arm is a pit in your stomach. A car came very fast in between the time when I was opening the door for the student to get out and come around the front of the bus,” says Sweet. “I was screaming at her just to stop because I could feel it and looking in my mirror that car was going to just go right on past us and the car did.”
Schools will also have safety precautions in place on busses to prevent against COVID.
“Everybody that rides a bus is going to have to wear a mask. We have hand sanitizer on our busses,” says Sweet. “We still want to take all the precautions that we can to keep everybody safe on our buses.”
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