The Easton Area School District is offering $1,500 signing bonuses for anyone willing to drive a school bus.
A nationwide driver shortage is pushing public schools to do what they can to hire and keep drivers. In addition to offering the signing bonus, the district will pay current drivers a $1,500 retention bonus to stick it out until the end of the school year.
The school board approved a memorandum between the district and the bus drivers’ union at the school board meeting Tuesday, Sept. 21. The memo includes the bonuses. You can watch the vote on the YouTube recording of the meeting.
At the meeting Tuesday, former school board member Richard Siegfried complained his grandchildren came home about a half hour late from kindergarten. He didn’t say what school they attend but said he lives in Forks Township.
“We need more bus drivers,” Siegfried said.
Superintendent David Piperato apologized about bus delays at the board meeting Sept. 14. He said a lack of drivers is forcing some drivers to make double runs.
“While we acknowledge that delays are extremely inconvenient for parents and students, our drivers and transportation department are doing the best they can given our current circumstances,” Piperato said.
Assistant Superintendent Josh Ziatyk told lehighvalleylive.com last week the district is short about 15 drivers, and the shortage leaves about a dozen afternoon bus runs uncovered every day.
At the Sept. 21 meeting, the board approved hiring 13 drivers but approved the departure of five drivers. Two retired, two resigned and one took a leave of absence.
You need a commercial driver’s license to drive a school bus. If you take the job, you’ll get half the $1,500 bonus after 90 days on the job and the other half at the end of the school year.
Drivers who were employed prior to the start of the school year will get the retention bonus in June, depending on the number of sick and personal days they use.
Drivers get $23.50 an hour for a typical run. Check out more details about bus driver pay and benefits in a lehighvalleylive.com report on their contract.
To apply for a job, email humanresources@eastonsd.org.
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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com.
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