Leander ISD Looking For A Few Good Bus Drivers

LEANDER, TX — Leander ISD has raised the pay for bus drivers in an effort to fill vacant driver positions.

The new pay rate for bus drivers at Leander ISD is now $16.50 an hour. A district spokesman told KVUE officials hope to fill several needed slots, having hired 33 drivers only to have 23 step down. "Right now, we're about 35 drivers short," the spokesman, Corey Ryan, told the news station.

In trying to fill those employment gaps, other certified district employees are taking the wheel, earning plenty of overtime pay.

What's more, the district is offering employees a $250 bonus for referring drivers and another bonus to drivers with two or fewer absences. Ryan explained a currency is paid on drivers who don't take too many sick days because of the relationship they are able to attain with the students.

Other area school districts are attempting to recruit bus drivers too, KVUE reported. At Hays CISD, pay's been raised from $14 to $16 an hour as officials seek to fill 25 positions. At Eanes ISD, an increase in pay ranging from $16 to $23 helped the district recently fill its last two openings.

Round Rock ISD also has a bus driver shortage, with a dozen slots needing to be filled, according to the report.

>>> See the story at KVUE

Image via Shutterstock