WJCC board discusses $3 hourly bump, 37 bus-driver vacancies and a proposed cut of 4 FTEs to offset costs

Williamsburg-James City County Schools staff told the school board the division is short 37 school bus drivers and is proposing a short-term $3-per-hour increase, to be applied retroactively to Jan. 1, to help retain existing drivers and recruit new ones.

The proposal was presented as part of the division’s preliminary FY26 budget briefing. "Before the pandemic, I remember probably in 2019, we were fully staffed with, about 111 drivers. And since that time, we currently have about 79 drivers. So we are out of the 114 that were budgeted. So that's why we're about 37 short," said Mr. Snipes, a transportation staff member who addressed historical staffing levels and current shortages.

Board and staff members said the vacancy count has driven operational challenges and late buses that affect classroom time. Ms. Ewing, a school division staff member presenting on compensation scenarios, said staff calculated the budget impact of a midyear pay adjustment and recommended reducing four bus-driver FTEs as a partial offset: "In order to support the increase next year, we would recommend reducing bus driver FTEs by 4 for a savings of 140,000."

Board members voiced support for a larger hourly adjustment. School board member Riffle and others repeatedly favored the $3-per-hour option; board member Donner summed up the board’s direction: the board would "bring this back to the board to consider increasing the per hour by $3 starting immediately" and that the increase would likely be made effective on Jan. 1 and carried forward into next year’s budget if adopted.

Staff described other retention and safety measures under way, including improved on-bus cameras, targeted training on student behavior, and an internal driver advisory group that provides quarterly feedback to transportation management. Mr. Lambusta, transportation staff, and others described pilot options such as adding bus aides on the most challenging runs but said adding aides across the system would be significantly more expensive than addressing driver pay.

Board members pressed staff for comparative data on neighboring districts’ vacancy counts and pay rates. "I was just curious if they have 37 vacancies that they're, you know, would would, you know, is it really the money or is it just lack of people that have the qualifications?" asked board member Chen. Staff committed to gather comparable vacancy and pay information from nearby divisions.

The discussion did not produce a formal vote; the board directed staff to return with budget language and cost estimates for a $3-per-hour increase, including the proposed reduction of four FTEs as an offset and implementation details. Staff warned that instituting an hourly increase midyear creates a continuing obligation that would need to be funded in FY26.

Why it matters: Transportation reliability is affecting daily operations and classroom instruction across schools, and board members signaled willingness to prioritize a near-term pay increase as part of the FY26 request. A midyear raise would increase recurring salary costs and would be reflected in the division’s FY26 budget proposal to local funding partners.