Fr. Co. Charter System Losing School Bus Drivers to Higher Paying Counties

The Franklin County Charter School System is competing for school bus drivers.

Right now, the transportation department has 61 bus routes but is short 15 bus drivers, according to Transportation Director Ray Hamilton.

Hamilton spoke to the Board of Education at last Thursday’s regular meeting. He said his department is struggling to keep drivers because they’re competing with neighboring school systems.

“We, as a district, have positions for drivers and bus monitors. Our neighbors have positions for drivers and monitors. So, the job descriptions are the same. The benefit packages are the same. Where we are struggling is that we are not competitive in our salary. That’s a hard one but it is a reality. We’ve had many interviewees come through over the last 12-18 months. They were strong candidates. They liked our system and wanted to be part of it but they went a different route. And many times it’s about the compensation. That’s our biggest struggle,” Hamilton told the Board.

Hamilton said the other school districts in neighboring counties pay about $2.50 more an hour than Franklin County and some base their pay scale based on years of service.

Because of the shortage of bus drivers, his department has had to make some changes to bus routes.

“So over the past two years, middle school students and high school were separated. They rode independent buses. We re-combined them. So, we took 26 individual routes, and by combining students and combining the routes we took that number down to 21. So, we picked up five positions there,” he said.

Hamilton said he has assured parents that students will be picked up after 6:30a and will be dropped off at home no later than 5p.

Hamilton added that 98% of students are now picked up and dropped off at home with some students meeting the bus at the end of their roads. Additionally, he said they have eliminated dropping students off at businesses.

Hamilton commended his team of drivers and monitors for their hard work and effort calling them, strong, resilient, and over-achievers.

The Board did not comment or make any decision on whether to raise school bus driver pay but thanked Hamilton for his report.