Bus Driver Recruitment

Families who rely on yellow school buses to transport their children to and from school know that bus contractors are once again experiencing unprecedented driver shortages. This has resulted in delayed buses and students arriving late for classes when drivers have had to “double up” and cover routes without a driver.

Government changes to eligibility requirements for riding the bus and lower fees this year have compounded the problem, as our ridership has increased, requiring more buses and drivers.

We know how stressful and frustrating this is for everyone who relies on this service. Since this is a province and country-wide issue, we have been working with provincial and national industry groups, the provincial government, colleagues in other school divisions and our busing contractors to look for solutions. Our contractors started the year with enough drivers to cover all routes, but have already experienced shortages due to illness and resignations, and there are only a few spare drivers available to cover those routes.

Please understand that bus drivers are doing their best to transport children safely and on time, under difficult circumstances. We ask that you continue to treat them with kindness and respect as they carry out this vital job.

To help address this ongoing driver shortage, we are again holding a bus driver recruitment campaign aimed at those who are looking to supplement their income by working a few hours a day. For example, if someone is working another job that starts later in the day, they may be interested in driving the morning run with one of our contractors, without it impacting their regular job. They would not have to commit to driving in both the morning and the afternoon – they could choose the shift that best works around their other work and family commitments, or they could become a backup/spare driver.

The bus contractor will cover the cost of training. Our contractors then pay their drivers approximately $90-95/day (for about four hours of work) when they start driving. This is a great opportunity to learn an in-demand skill and supplement one’s income by working only a few hours a day.

If you or anyone you know might be interested in learning more, contact our Transportation department at transportation@spschools.org or 780.460.3712.