Waukee School Bus Drivers Must Re-Apply for Their Jobs

Waukee school bus drivers must reapply for their jobs after the Waukee school board voted to switch transportation companies, the Des Moines Register reported.

Durham School Services will provide Waukee bus service for the 2013-14 through 2015-16 school years, the board decided unanimously on Monday. First Student, the district’s current contractor, also submitted a bid, the newspaper said.

More than 50 Waukee district workers will be affected by the change, the Register said.

Mark Herington with Durham told the newspaper drivers who choose to reapply with the company are likely to retain their jobs.

Herington said students will ride to school in a new fleet of 2013 model buses. “They’re going to notice responsiveness to the community,” Herington told the Register.

Waukee driver Larramie Campbell told the Register that after three years with First Student he could lose seniority with the new company.

“So basically starting over from scratch, it definitely adds anxiety, not knowing. You know, I’ve got to provide for my family and my children, so I’ve got to take care of my family,” he said.

Durham will pay drivers on average $15.36 an hour, according to the district. No driver will make less than they are making now, officials told the newspaper.

There have been instances of students missing buses, frustration with the equipment of an aging fleet and communication problems with First Student staff, according to Waukee school board documents.

The Waukee school district first decided to outsource transportation in 1998, according to its board briefs.