Little Miami transportation officials outline driver shortage, propose hiring bonuses and retention incentives

Transportation officials presented a detailed account of daily operations and staffing challenges at the Little Miami Local School District’s Feb. 10 board meeting.

Chad Conkle, the district’s administrative representative for transportation, and Mrs. Oder, the transportation supervisor, said the department operates a three-tier system with 66 routed vehicles and roughly 6,200–6,270 miles driven each school day. They reported 63 active drivers, four mechanics, five van drivers and 11 full-time aides; staff said the ideal operating level would be about 70 drivers (including standbys) to reliably cover all routes.

Officials said the department has canceled a small number of routes in recent weeks because of concentrated absences: seven long-term drivers currently out for medical reasons, two recent resignations and additional short-term illnesses. Mrs. Oder said those absences, combined with earlier resignations, have created pressure that has required mechanics, office staff and other employees to drive routes to maintain service.

To address immediate and longer-term shortages, staff proposed a suite of measures: targeted hiring events and job fairs, advertising (including billboards), signing and referral bonuses, and a re-examination of the attendance incentive that is currently part of the collective bargaining agreement. Conkle cited nearby districts that use tiered signing bonuses (for example, an initial payment when board-approved, another at six months and a portion at one year) and suggested the board discuss a similar structure. He also recommended reopening dialogue with the union about attendance incentives; staff noted that materially changing attendance pay would likely require an MOU or bargaining discussion.

Board members pressed staff for details on training costs and timelines: officials estimated pre-service class fees of roughly $150 per new driver (Warren County EFC), additional testing and physical costs of about $65–$85, and an average of 25–30 hours of training plus on-bus instruction (OBI). Board members noted that investment in training leaves the district vulnerable if newly certified drivers depart, reinforcing the case for stronger retention incentives.

Conkle said the transportation department has compiled a three-year plan that outlines recruiting, routing and staffing strategies; he offered to send the plan as a read-ahead and return with a formal presentation in March. The board directed staff to continue job fairs and to develop concrete proposals for signing and referral bonuses and attendance incentives for discussion at a future meeting.

The presentation closed with acknowledgments from board members of the difficulty of the work and an agreement to continue the planning and bargaining conversations. The district said it will return with recommended actions and a copy of the three-year transportation plan for board review.