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Willis ISD to raise bus driver pay, aims to hire 15 drivers to cut double runs
Summary
District staff told the board it will raise the bus driver pay rate effective Jan. 6, 2025, and increase training pay to attract drivers. The district projects a roughly $44,000 cost for the remainder of the budget year and outlined a training timeline to add drivers and reduce doubled afternoon routes.
Willis ISD will raise its bus driver pay to $25 per hour effective Jan. 6, 2025, and raise part-time and training pay to $20.52 an hour, district staff said at the Dec. 11 board meeting. The district projects the incremental cost for the remainder of the current school year at about $44,000.
"This rate puts us above Conroe at $19.50 and above Montgomery at $20.20," operations staff member Bob Eaton said, describing the district's intent to be competitive in the local labor market. Eaton said the district has lost about eight drivers and that a recent job fair generated nine applicants, one of whom already held a commercial driver’s license.
District staff said 22 second runs (afternoon double runs) currently remain and the goal is to hire roughly 15 additional drivers by the end of January to eliminate many of those double runs. Training requires five to six weeks and the district has one trainer who may certify up to five trainees at a time; staff said they will explore regional training partnerships to accelerate certification.
Why it matters: Staff said longer or double runs affect students, families and teachers; reducing them is expected to shorten school days for some students and ease teacher workload. The board discussed capacity, retention and training logistics and did not record a separate vote for pay changes during the meeting; administration said the increase will become the baseline for next year’s budget.
