Bus drivers and substitutes press Nash County school board for raises as district details pay and budget trade-offs

Nash County Public Schools board members heard multiple public comments pressing for pay increases for bus drivers, monitors and substitute drivers, and a staff presentation that laid out current pay ranges, how state rules affect step credit and how much the district’s transportation allotment is consumed by salaries.

Thelma Harris opened public comment by asking board members to press county commissioners for more school funding. Alicia Haman, who identified herself as a bus driver, said she has driven for Nash County Schools for 27 years and criticized pay compression: “It is very disheartening that someone with 0 experience is making just a few dollars less than me. That's not fair,” she said. Matthew Hunter, also identified as a bus driver, asked, “why come the drivers that's coming in with no experience can make just as much as drivers with experience?” William Booze, identified as a substitute bus driver, and other speakers urged the board to include substitute drivers in any raise. Kennedy Harvin, speaking in support of drivers, said their “main focus on safety and well-being is always first.”

Why it matters: Drivers and substitutes told the board low pay and perceived lack of respect are driving experienced employees away, which commenters and staff said could harm route stability and student safety.

In a presentation flagged for committee information, district staff outlined current pay and how state policy affects placement on the district salary schedule. The presentation said the highest hourly rate for bus drivers in Nash County is $23.82 and the district’s starting pay for drivers is $16.79 per hour; the presentation listed an average driver pay of $18.09 per hour. For monitors, the slides listed a highest rate of $17.00, a starting rate of $15.63 and an average of $16.19 per hour. Staff said the district paid about $45,700 in attendance/testing bonuses this school year to transportation staff.

Staff explained the district converted older grade-and-step salaries to a new grade-and-range schedule following State Board of Education guidance, and noted that years of prior experience are credited differently depending on the previous employer (for example, full-time federal service counts as one year credit for every two years served in comparable roles). The presentation listed starting pay ranges reported by neighboring districts (Wilson, Martin, Bertie, Pitt, Wayne) to provide local context.

Budget trade-offs: The district said its state transportation allotment runs roughly in the $4.8 million to $5.5 million range across recent years and that salaries currently make up the bulk of that allotment. Using the figures presented, staff said a district‑wide $3 hourly raise for drivers and monitors would increase projected salary payouts to about $4.4 million — approximately 90% of the district’s transportation allotment as presented — leaving less funding for vehicles, parts, fuel and activity buses. Staff cautioned that routing vehicle maintenance and fuel are paid from the same allotment and that pushing salary spending to such a high percentage of the allotment would reduce funding for those items.

Board action and next steps: The presentation and public comments were received for information; the board did not take a formal vote on a raise at the meeting. Staff said the salary slides are provided annually to the county commissioners as part of the district’s budget presentation and that the district will continue to press for additional funding. One board member asked staff to estimate the full cost if everyone met a perfect-attendance threshold; staff said they would follow up with that calculation.

Ending: Public commenters and staff urged the board to press county commissioners for additional funding and to consider the balance between salary increases and transportation operations funding. No formal salary change was adopted at the meeting.