![]() To be a good school bus driver you need patience, attention to detail, even composure, and you have to love kids. “The district also needs custodians and food service workers. “We have gotten some drivers, but we have also lost drivers,” said Beekman. Meanwhile, Jim Beekman, the past president of the Florida Association of Pupil Transportation and the director of transportation for Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa, said his district has raised the hourly rate drivers are paid from $14.57 to $16.04, offered recruiting bonuses, and held job fairs. New bus drivers receive $250 after completing training and reporting to their terminals and the other $250 after they complete 90 days on the job, said Cathleen Brennan, a spokesperson for Broward Schools. There is the opportunity to work with children, and it is good for people who like to drive and don’t want to be in an office setting.īroward Schools offers a $500 sign-on bonus. ![]() They can have plenty of leisure time and there is a good work-life balance. Drivers can also go to school or work a second job. There are job promotion opportunities and optional summer work available. School bus drivers are enrolled in the Florida Retirement System and receive paid days off, bonuses for safe driving and attendance, and free training, which is considered a $3,000 value and free self-enhancement classes. The drivers are guaranteed 37.5 hours a week of work, and employees receive free health insurance, which includes medical, dental, vision and more. They will start at $15 an hour on July 1.”Ībout 175 miles to the south, Broward County Public Schools offers some highly sought-after benefits to school bus drivers. “We offer these benefits to our bus attendants as well. We make our drivers permanent immediately and they have access to a Florida Retirement System pension immediately,” said Creach. This means the driver can focus on driving. In the past, it was only for special needs students. “What is unique to us is that our superintendent has told us to add a bus monitor for every bus we have. The Osceola District made on-route provisions so that drivers can focus on driving rather than dealing with student management issues, explained Arby Creach, director of transportation services at Osceola. It offers Department of Transportation physicals at no cost. Osceola also offers a health clinic that offers free services including some imaging, medications, blood work and therapeutic services. There are various plans available depending on employee contribution levels. This is a benefit rarely available outside of the public sector.Īlso, bus drivers are eligible on the very first day of employment to receive a full health plan that includes dental, vision and life insurance. ![]() School bus drivers become vested after only six years. On the day a driver begins work, they become a part of the Florida Retirement System, which is among the best in the nation, according to the nonprofit Tax Foundation’s analysis of fiscal year 2019 funded ratio of state pension plan assets. The School District of Osceola County located south of Orlando pays for the commercial driver’s license process, a valuable credential that can be used in a wide variety of situations. A driver who is willing to work nights and on weekends could earn as much as $65,000 a year. Drivers are guaranteed a minimum of six hours a day of work, and there are many opportunities to pick up extra routes or to drive for field trips and sporting events. ![]() In Osceola County, Florida, for example, school bus drivers have seen a pay increase from $13.85 an hour to $15 an hour, and the rate is likely to rise to as much as $16.50 an hour starting on July 1. In some cases, the benefits offered to new school bus driver applicants are better than those offered to private industry executives. School districts all over the nation are in such need of bus drivers that they are willing to offer good starting pay, full health benefits, and competitive retirement plans, in addition to paying for the commercial driver’s license. If you want to become a school bus driver, now is probably one of the best times to do so because of the extensive benefits being offered in some areas.
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