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Pender County Schools proposes pay increase, radios and routing overhaul to address driver shortage
Summary
District transportation staff pitched a plan to raise starting pay for drivers and monitors, install a radio network and pursue a three‑tier bell schedule to reduce route strain; board will seek county funding and present the request to the Board of County Commissioners in February.
Pender County Schools transportation staff presented a proposal to the school board on January 9 asking the district and county to approve higher pay for drivers and monitors, the purchase of radio equipment for buses and a review of routing that could include a three‑tier bell schedule.
The proposal lays out the problem and several remedies. The district runs 93 morning and 93 afternoon routes, employs about 100 daily drivers and 15 bus monitors, and is short roughly 10 drivers, according to the presentation. "These challenges include a shortage of bus drivers, working conditions of our staff, and congestion in and around various parts of the district," the transportation presenter told the board.
Why it matters: Short staffing forces the district to run double or triple routes on a single day, increases workload for drivers, and creates reliability and safety concerns for families and staff. The proposal ties near‑term operational fixes — better discipline protocols and unified school support for bus infractions — to investments the county must approve.
Key proposals and figures - Pay increases: starting bus driver pay proposed to rise to $17.75 per hour (from $16.26) and starting bus monitor pay to $17.51 (from $16.07). The presenter said the annual cost of the proposed driver increase is roughly $270,000 and the monitor increase about $61,000. - Radio network: an estimated $400,000 for hardware, base stations and licensing to equip about 120 vehicles, 25 base stations at schools/district buildings, and one or more repeaters/tower rental. The presenter said buses currently rely on drivers' cell phones, which can fail in low‑coverage or emergency situations. - Operational changes: create a bus‑driver mentor program, improve badge/access for drivers at schools, standardize kindergarten/grade‑1 pickup/drop‑off procedures, and refine discipline responses so bus removal (short term) — not classroom suspension — is used where appropriate. - Routing and schedule review: the transportation office intends to return with a three‑tier schedule analysis to reduce route overlap and congestion.
Discussion and next steps Board members and staff discussed radio bands and coverage during storms; law enforcement and county radio infrastructure were raised as possibilities for integration or for using lower radio frequencies for greater range without repeaters. Superintendent Robert Breedlove and other staff said the district will discuss tower/repeater options with county partners.
The transportation presenter said the district will take the formal funding request to the Board of County Commissioners in February and, if approved, begin immediate implementation. No formal board vote on funding occurred at the January meeting; the board asked staff to refine costs and radio / frequency options and to prepare the presentation to the county commissioners.
Ending: The board directed staff to return with a cost‑refined package and implementation timeline for the county. If the county approves the proposal, the district plans immediate hiring and equipment purchase to improve daily reliability and emergency communications.
