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Board hears transportation update: district needs 123 AM and PM school bus drivers; district offering paid training incentives
Summary
During committee reports the board was told Nash County Public Schools needs 123 AM and PM drivers; staff described paid training opportunities and outreach to boost driver and monitor participation.
The Nash County Board of Education heard an update on transportation staffing from the Unit Support Services and Operations committee that said the district needs 123 morning and afternoon bus drivers and outlined three paid training opportunities intended to help drivers and monitors make up income lost during inclement weather.
The update, presented during the committee report by committee chair Dr. Chavis and transportation staff, listed the incentives offered to drivers and monitors: a paid CPR/first‑aid training (5 hours), the NHTSA school bus driver in‑service safety online series (12 hours) and a North Carolina Communication and De‑Escalation Intervention (NCCDI) training (8 hours) that will be offered in June.
Why it matters
Driver shortages affect school transportation capacity and schedules; the board asked staff to communicate the training options and report back in June on participation. The trainings provide paid hours for employees and are intended to partially offset income missed during weather‑related cancellations.
Details from the meeting
- The committee report opened with a staffing need: "we need 123 AM and PM drivers," the committee noted. (Transcript: "Overall, the highlight was that we need 123 AM and PM drivers.")
- The district offered three paid training options to drivers and monitors: CPR/first‑aid (paid, 5 hours), the NHTSA online school bus driver in‑service safety series (12 hours online) and NCCDI de‑escalation training (8 hours) planned in June. (Transcript: "The first is the CPR first aid training for all drivers and monitors... it is paid, 5 hours of time."; "...the NHTSA school bus driver in service safety series... It's worth, 12 hours of work."; "...the NCCDI training... will offer them the opportunity to pick up an additional 8 hours of work.")
- Staff reported prior outreach: a transportation meeting on March 20 with drivers and monitors, follow‑up texts and emails, and printed notices placed on bus seats. Dr. Chavis asked staff to provide a participation update in June. (Transcript: "We actually had March 20. It was a transportation meeting with all drivers and monitors... And then we text and emailed the drivers... putting the information on the seats of each school bus.")
- Participation counts mentioned in the report: the presentation noted a figure of 184 (context indicates number of drivers/monitors available to attend or reach via communication), and small numbers of drivers had taken some of the training opportunities; the transcript does not fully enumerate which trainings those drivers completed. (Transcript: "Hundred and 84.")
What the transcript does not say
The report did not include the names of contracted training providers beyond program titles, specific costs for the trainings, how the paid hours are funded, or a detailed timeline for driver hiring. The board instructed staff to return in June with participation figures.
Ending
The transportation update was presented as information only; committee members and staff agreed to follow up with participation data at the next update. (Transcript: "Will you provide us some update in June on how many participation in June?" "Yes. Yes, sir.")
