Benton County board authorizes executive committee to hire bus drivers ahead of next meeting to ease shortages
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Summary
The board unanimously (8–0) granted the executive committee authority to hire certified bus drivers prior to the next meeting, provided all state and district requirements (background check, physical, certification) are met, to address an immediate driver shortage.
Facing a shortage of bus drivers, the Benton County Board of Education voted unanimously to allow its executive committee to hire certified bus drivers prior to the next regular meeting, provided those hires meet all required checks and certifications.
Commissioner Livingston moved to give the executive committee authority to hire a bus driver before the next meeting; Commissioner Marks seconded the motion as read into the record by the clerk. Discussion cited the practical need to fill vacancies quickly: an unidentified board member said "2 new drivers would pretty much alleviate our" shortage and noted certification timelines could take about two months for some applicants.
The board clarified conditions for hires: background checks, required physicals and valid certification must be complete before the hire is finalized. The motion passed by roll call, recorded as 8 yes, with no recorded abstentions.
Next steps: authorized hires will be recorded in next month’s minutes and the executive committee will notify the board of any pre-meeting hires that meet the stated requirements.