Toms River Schools Offer $29 Per Hour, Benefits To Draw Bus Drivers

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Toms River Regional Schools will be paying bus drivers starting salaries of $29 an hour plus benefits as the district works to bring in new drivers to fill bus routes and provide transportation for sports and other afterschool activities, the district announced Friday.

The salary increase was approved Wednesday when the Toms River Regional Board of Education voted to approve a new contract with the district's transportation union. The new starting salary, of $29.03, up from $22.11, takes effect for the 2022-23 school year and the district is offering routes that are 6½ hours a day and 8 hours a day, officials said.

The pay for substitute bus drivers, a category that encompasses trip drivers for sports and student field trips, is being increased to $27 per hour, up from $22.50. Substitute drivers do not get benefits.

"We still have a lot of contracted bus drivers to replace – we anticipate more than 30 – so contracts are available," said Laurel Venberg, the Toms River Regional Schools' transportation director. "What’s even better is that new bus drivers will receive full family benefits from Day 1, even if they don’t have all the licenses and endorsements yet.

"This is the best package we’ve ever offered," Venberg said, "and I commend our board and administration for recognizing this driver shortage and making concrete efforts to solve it."

The Toms River schools, like districts across the country, have struggled to find enough school bus drivers to fill regular bus routes to get students to and from school each day. The district transports more than 13,000 students on a four-tier system.

But with the driver shortage, the Toms River schools have had to eliminate late buses for after-school activities and team buses to some sports events.

People who are interested in becoming school bus drivers are eligible for training under the new ELDT —entry level drivers training — program, which will help Toms River drivers attain the required endorsements for CDL Class B, Air Brakes, Passenger and School Bus.

While drivers who need to obtain their licenses and endorsements will receive full family medical, new drivers who enter the district with the CDL with all endorsements will receive full family medical and prescription, dental, and vision coverage.

Interested bus driver applicants should visit the district’s Employment page and access the applications for full-time and substitute bus drivers.

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