Board weighs ending $2,000 pilot and shifting to smaller, staged incentives for bus drivers

District staff presented a review of a two-year pilot incentive program intended to improve bus-driver recruitment and retention. The pilot cost roughly $134,000 per year, and staff proposed folding retention incentives into contract-based awards to reduce ongoing cost while preserving recruitment bonuses.

Proposal details: Staff proposed eliminating the pilot and instead increasing the contract-included driver-excellence and attendance awards from $150 to $300 each and keeping a $1,000 sign-on bonus but paid in staged installments (30/60/90 days) to reduce early turnover.

Board concerns and recommendations: Some board members supported a change but asked staff to survey classified employees and reach out to employee associations before finalizing any change. Others warned that rolling back the pilot could reduce total compensation for current drivers by as much as $1,400, undermining retention. "I don't think it's comfortable with reducing the pay of our existing drivers," one member said, urging exploration of folding incentives into base pay or other options.

Staff response and next steps: Staff said surrounding districts had not offered similar ongoing incentive programs and that the pilot's cost-benefit did not justify continuation in its present form; they proposed further study and agreed to present feasibility and employee-survey results at the next meeting.

Outcome at the meeting: The board did not vote to finalize a replacement program; members agreed to return the item to discussion with additional analysis and survey feedback.