Waynesboro Schools’ fleet of bus drivers is incomplete with only 10 drivers as the school system prepares for the 2023-2024 school year.
According to Executive Director of Operations DeWayne Moore, last year the school system had 15 full-time drivers.
“A good fleet number for us would be about 20,” Moore, a former Kate Collins Middle School teacher, said.
The school system lost several drivers who retired or left the area.
Regionally, school systems are facing the issue because bus drivers are getting older and, for some, driving a school bus every morning and every afternoon is a second job.
“I think it’s something that we’re all facing in education,” Moore said.
Waynesboro Schools is recruiting locally, asking teachers and coaches to help drive routes. Bus drivers are also needed for athletics games and class field trips.
Moore said Waynesboro offers an incentive of $1,500 to sign on: $750 at first, then the other $750 after five months of employment.
The Waynesboro School Board is committed to finding more bus drivers for the school system. Compensation has been looked at to ensure it is compatible with other school systems.
“Our bus drivers are very important to the organization,” Moore said.
However, the school system has less than two weeks before a plan must be in place for the new school year.
“We’re still pretty short on bus drivers,” said Waynesboro Schools Superintendent Dr. Jeff Cassell at Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Waynesboro School Board.
Double runs are not planned, but solutions are necessary to maintain consistency for parents and students.
“It’s not going to be a perfect solution. The point is we’re trying to find a solution with the resources that we have,” Cassell said.
Anyone interested in driving for Waynesboro Schools, may apply online.
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Rebecca Barnabi
