School bus driver shortages are a widespread problem for schools around the nation, but until districts find the money to pay drivers a more competitive wage the problem is only going to get worse.
Driving a school bus is an intimidating job. Not only do you have to drive a vehicle substantially larger than anything you are likely to have ever driver before, you have to take responsibility for the safety and behavior of other people’s children while they do so.
That job description alone can make it difficult to find committed, responsible adults willing to fill the position, but new data from School Bus Fleet’s 2015 Contractor Survey suggests low pay may be making the problem even worse.
The survey found that driver shortages are on the increase, affecting the vast majority of districts around the country. This year, only 6% of respondents reported having no shortage of drivers, dropping from 15% the year before and 27% in 2013. In comparison, 28% say they are facing a severe or desperate shortage this year.
While the driver shortages are increasing at an alarming rate, pay for drivers is relatively static. The 2015 Contractor Survey found the average school bus driver starting wage sits at $15.15 per hour, barely increasing from $14.58 per hour in 2014.
That may not sound too bad to you for the average job, but when you compare this pay rate to those for other driving professions the situation appears to be more severe.
The most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports these mean hourly wages for driving professions:
- School or special client bus drivers: $14.38
- Transit and intercity bus drivers: $18.95
- Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers: $20.16
While the report doesn’t distinguish school bus drivers from drivers of special clients, such as the elderly or individuals with disabilities, but overall it is clear that skilled drivers of large vehicles are likely to find higher compensation in just about any driving profession.
In some instances, it is very clear severe driver shortages are at least partially related to pay discrepancies. For example, the Superintendent of an Indiana district facing a severe driver shortage told local reporters that a key factor in the shortage was the district’s starting pay for drivers. While his district pays $13 per hour, nearby districts offer $18 per hour.
It is no secret that school district budgets are notoriously tight, but that hasn’t stopped several districts from approving pay raises for their drivers with the goal of mitigating driver shortages. Ultimately, it comes down to the district to make student transportation a priority.
