Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cumberland County board reviews bus driver shortages; insurance and pay cited as recruitment factors
Summary
Board reviewed bus-driver losses, pay structure, and district-paid insurance; staff said the district operates 78 buses, reported a shortfall of several drivers, and will provide detailed counts and insurance enrollment data at the next meeting.
The Cumberland County Board of Education examined a multi-year trend of driver losses and explored recruitment options after district staff flagged a shortfall in available school bus drivers.
Transportation staff reported driver departures since 2018 and said that in 2023'24 the district had several resignations attributed to better jobs, student behavior, and retirements. The transportation supervisor briefed the board that the district runs roughly 78 buses, and at the time of the meeting the system was short several drivers (board members referenced figures of eight to 11 positions short across recent months and a handful of applicants in the pipeline but some retirements ongoing).
Board members asked for detailed numbers. Staff said they would return with a full tally of drivers enrolled in the district insurance plan and the exact current headcount, including how many drivers are on premium plans and typical monthly employer insurance costs. During the meeting staff gave planning figures for insurance enrollments: the district's premium prescription/health plan costs per driver on the full premium plan were described as approximately $755 per month (the least-expensive plan cited in discussion was described as about $578 per month). Board members asked staff to provide an itemized count of how many drivers are on each plan and the monthly cost to the district.
Members discussed pay levels and schedule structure for drivers. Board members said the base pay is calculated as a four-hour daily rate; one figure mentioned during discussion placed a lower-end daily rate in the district near $83 per day for a four-hour run, with additional pay for longer duties such as athletic trips and field trips. The board noted some neighboring counties have different mixes of full-time and part-time drivers and do not always provide district-paid insurance. Several trustees suggested the district consider alternative strategies, including:
- Offering varied packages (for example, part-time assignments without insurance as an option) to expand the candidate pool; - Hiring teacher-transportation supplements or paying certified staff to run routes when possible; and - Adding an assistant on larger or longer routes to ease behavior and safety concerns, though staff cautioned these positions are already difficult to fill.
Board members also discussed whether certified staff who hold CDLs could operate buses more regularly and whether teacher-adjunct pay and retirement-credit implications would change the cost calculus. Directors said some teachers do drive and receive supplemental pay, and certified staff receive retirement-credit and other benefits.
Transportation staff agreed to provide a detailed memo and counts, including: current driver headcount, number of vacancies, the number of drivers enrolled in each insurance tier, monthly district insurance cost per tier, and the number of drivers eligible but not enrolled. Board members asked that staff present that information by email before the next meeting and include it on the agenda for follow-up discussion and possible direction about recruitment incentives or reallocation of budget lines.
