New Hanover County Schools says driver staffing at 85%; routing, double-run reductions still constrained by testing and state rules
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Summary
District transportation staff told the board the department has filled 99 of 116 driver positions and hired eight new drivers since July, but road-test scheduling, DMV certifier availability and daily absences keep routine double runs and stops on major roads in place.
Dr. Morgan, district staff member leading transportation, told the board the department has 99 of 116 driver positions filled (about 85%) and 17 vacancies while 12 candidates were in the pipeline awaiting behind-the-wheel road tests.
The presentation explained that hiring takes two to three months from application to fully qualified road driver because of required behind-the-wheel testing. Dr. Morgan said the district offers a $1,000 sign-on bonus and a $1,000 referral bonus, and that drivers are the only full-time positions among neighboring counties, which typically offer part-time runs.
Dr. Morgan said the district has a 99% pass rate for drivers who begin as bus aides and later take the driver test. He also reported that roughly 35% of the bus fleet is equipped with stop-arm cameras, and that the system covers approximately 120 daily runs and just under 8,000 regular riders (down roughly 2.7% from last year). Double runs were listed as: AM — 5 elementary and 12 secondary; PM — 20 elementary and 12 secondary. Dr. Morgan estimated 90% of AM double runs and 75% of PM double runs could be eliminated if the district were fully staffed.
Board members pressed about safety where buses stop on busy arterial streets. Dr. Morgan said the department prioritizes state-maintained roads, line-of-sight and not routing into one-way-in/one-way-out private neighborhoods; he said the sheriff’s office and NCDOT collaborate on stop reviews and signage. Board members also discussed DMV capacity for test certifiers and the effect of the state efficiency metric that ties transportation funding to route efficiency.
The department said it runs approximately five driver absences per day and uses eight non-driver transportation staff with CDLs and four substitute drivers to cover gaps. The board and staff agreed to continue recruiting, to seek DMV process improvements with state partners, and to keep communities informed about routing constraints.