They also report distracting student behaviors that can present a safety risk and cause the driver to not be able to focus on the road. In addition to safely operating the bus, they have to pay attention to how students behave and handle behavioral problems promptly. They also offer their services to transport students to after-school activities or field trips. School bus drivers often pick up children from bus stops, bring the students to school and then drive them back home at the end of the school day. Actual earnings depend on location, experience, employer and number of work hours. OAPT anticipates having further conversations with the remaining districts throughout the state.Based on the May 2017 Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures, the median annual school bus driver salary is $31,060. “This survey speaks volumes,” stated Silverthorn. Now with COVID-19 increasing shortages, the survey shows that over 62 of districts are now offering to pay CDL training. Oglesby also said many districts in Ohio have not paid for driver training for years. The survey indicated that districts are able to schedule interviews, but some candidates fail to show up. This can place parents scrambling to get their children to school.” to notify parents that we do not have a driver to drive their route. Oglesby added, “We hate the idea of sending calls at 6 a.m. “We have a limited amount of certified staff to drive school buses, and when those resources have been exhausted, we are sometimes faced with the difficult decision to delay, cancel or run routes late to school,” she added. The silver lining, he added, is that three-quarters of districts had yet to cancel routes.īut OAPT President Theresa Ritchie noted that student transportation operations as a whole do not have the options afforded to school buildings to move and shift staff around to cover routes. Last year, we were canceling or delaying routes almost daily due to staffing shortage.” “Unfortunately, my district has experienced route cancellations a couple of times a week at the beginning of the school year. Todd Silverthorn, OAPT’s first vice president, told School Transportation News that he finds it alarming to see that the survey indicates over 24 percent of the districts are reporting that they have had to cancel routes once a week every day. Related: New Pegasus Bus Manufacturer Opens Ohio PlantĬOVID-19 has also worsened the shortages, as districts are struggling to provide proper transportation. Related: 5 Ways to to Alleviate Your Bus Driver Shortage (And Save Money, Too) Related: Bus Driver Shortage Extended Iowa School District Holiday Related: Concerns with the Recent Spike of COVID-19 Cases to Have a Major Impact on the School Transportation Industry After the Holidays Meanwhile, only slightly more than 8 percent of the members said wages paid out over a full year in equal increments every other week, or 26 paychecks, negatively impacts hiring. “People are needing to support their families and benefits is a huge factor for those applying.” “People don’t want to work part-time,” commented David Oglesby, OAPT’s second vice president. Additionally, nearly 52 percent said lack of hours is a factor, followed by benefits (45 percent), and split shifts (over 34 percent). Sixty-three percent said pay is the leading factor in driver candidate’s decision not to proceed with being hired. Three main areas for districts to improve in became apparent. 11, OAPT received a total of 611 responses from 338 districts to the survey that sought to understand the struggles experienced since the outbreak of COVID-19 and how driver shortages have worsened. Nearly two-thirds of Ohio Association for Pupil Transportation (OAPT) members think low pay is the leading cause of the school bus driver shortage there, according to survey results released this week.īetween Sept.
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