Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Pay topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves $100 supplemental pay for drivers who run extra routes to reduce student absences
Summary
To reduce absenteeism caused by uncovered bus routes, the board approved paying drivers $100 to run an additional morning or afternoon route (or $50 if a driver is already out for one leg). The policy mirrors substitute pay and passed unanimously.
The Tangipahoa Parish School Board unanimously approved a supplemental pay arrangement to pay bus drivers $100 for running an additional morning or afternoon route when substitute drivers are unavailable.
Board members said the change aims to reduce student absences caused by missed or canceled bus runs. "$50 to get one child to school would be worth it. But $50 to get an entire bus load of children to school, I mean, it's undeniably something that we should be doing," Mister Moore said during discussion.
Under the proposal, a driver who covers a second route in the same day would receive $100; if a driver is already running one leg and covers the additional leg, the pay would be $50 for that second leg, staff explained. The $100 supplemental equals the existing daily rate paid to a substitute driver, and business services staff confirmed the funding would come from the same budget line used for substitute pay.
Board members acknowledged operational complexities, including rural routes that require longer mileage and variable timing. Members discussed alternatives (hourly supplemental pay, using different buses) and asked staff to refine procedures for notifying families when routes change. Several members described the item as an interim solution to an ongoing transportation staffing shortage while the system pursues longer‑term fixes.
The motion to adopt the supplemental pay policy passed unanimously.
