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Durham schools launch multi-pronged push to recruit and retain bus drivers
Summary
Durham Public Schools officials outlined recruitment, compensation and working‑condition measures — including break spaces, community outreach and targeted pay — to address a severe bus‑driver shortage that has disrupted routes and prompted temporary staffing changes.
Durham Public Schools officials on Jan. 29 presented a multi-part plan to address a staffing shortfall among school bus drivers, saying the district will combine recruitment, compensation and working‑condition improvements to stabilize transportation.
The plan’s nut graf: school leaders told the Board of Education that the shortage mirrors a national trend and that local efforts will focus on more aggressive recruitment, training and recognition while monitoring the effectiveness of each tactic.
Assistant Superintendent and Chief of Human Resources Kim Hager presented the district’s Strategic Plan Priority 3 goals tied to recruitment and retention, including a target to reduce overall employee turnover by 5 percentage points by 2028 and to increase the fill rate for hard‑to‑staff positions. Hager noted recruitment partnerships with Durham Technical Community College and North Carolina Central University and a scheduled career fair on Feb. 12 to attract candidates.
Superintendent D. L. Lewis framed the problem with national context and a common refrain he reported hearing in recent meetings: “retention is the new recruitment,” and said research shows drivers are more likely to stay when “they feel like that they are true part of the education team.” He and Hager emphasized both short‑term and systemic steps.
District transportation staff listed concrete actions under way: designated personnel to support licensing and onboarding, pop‑up recruitment events, targeted social media advertising and outreach to former employees. The presentation said 13 current employees have volunteered to drive routes in recent weeks and that others within the district (mechanics, office staff) have stepped up to cover routes as needed.
Mister Barnes, who addressed compensation during the meeting, described how district employees who drove buses were being paid: “If you are a salary employee, you have been compensated at $25 an hour. If you're [an] hourly employee, you're being compensated at time and a half of your regular pay.”
Board members and staff also discussed non‑pay measures to improve working conditions: establishing driver break spaces at Holton and Northern, improving school‑level support (discipline processes and access to restrooms/computers), and a Transportation Advisory Council to give drivers a direct voice. Hager said Holton is farther along as an immediate break‑space option and Northern is being scoped for rollout before the end of the school year.
Officials said they will track metrics to measure which initiatives reduce driver vacancies and improve route reliability. Hager and transportation staff said a major focus is lowering barriers to licensure (estimated average cost to become a driver about $420) and coordinating behind‑the‑wheel training and DMV partnerships to accelerate credentialing.
The presentation closed with staff urging community support and noting ongoing conversations with local partners, including the DPS Foundation and neighborhood groups, to expand recruitment and improve safety for alternative walking and rolling routes to school.
Ending: Board members expressed support for the plan’s mix of immediate compensatory steps and longer‑term working‑condition changes, and asked staff to return with measurable recruitment outcomes and cost estimates as efforts proceed.
