NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The national bus driver shortage is challenging the midstate with several counties missing more than 10% of their driving staff.
"[We're] having to get creative. You know, it's a national crisis of school bus driver shortage and in the Middle Tennessee area with the growth that we're experiencing, which is a great thing, but there's so much more employers advocating and they're pulling from the same folks that we are. We want them to come here and drive for the school system," said Sumner County Schools Transportation Director Andrew Grasty.
Transportation directors around the midstate are doubling up routes, asking mechanics and other school staff to drive, hiring contract workers, and applying for extensions to the 90-minute maximum bus ride state rule to bump up to two hours.
In Sumner County, the district also approved an hourly increase that doubled many drivers' pay overnight to start at $18.26 an hour.
"We had a supportive school board and a supportive kind of commission that at the time this past summer voted to give us a driver increase," said Grasty. "There were tears. They're very thankful and excited. They feel supported by the community. They do a hard job. They're up every morning at 5:30-6 o'clock in the rain, maybe winter weather and things like that. And so with that encouragement from the local supporters and school board, they feel very appreciated."
However, Sumner County is still missing 14% of its driving staff and that's not the worst in the region.
For example, Williamson County is missing 47 drivers — 18% of its driving staff. In Davidson County, Metro Schools is short 19% — up to 80 drivers even after increasing their starting wage from $16.85 to $22.25 at the start of the 2022-2023 school year. Cheatham County reported missing 24% of its drivers.
The outlier, Rutherford County reported only missing 1% of its drivers. The school district said that is because they use an independent contractor service to cover routes, whereas many districts in Middle Tennessee directly employ their own drivers and own their buses.
"Full benefits are offered for our bus drivers [in Sumner County]. [You're] state retirement eligible—you're working for a state retirement. [You have] a flexible schedule where if you own a lawn company or are at home doing crafts for that coming craft season, you can do that in the middle of the day and just work a few hours in the morning and mid-afternoon. Take care of the kids in the community and get paid a nice wage for doing that and start on the retirement," explained Grasty.
"They're the first person in the county — in the school system — that sees them every morning to say, 'Good morning.' They may have had a hard night doing homework or woke up this morning to something crazy but that bus driver, they put a smile on their face to get their day started," explained Grasty. "And that school bus driver is the last one to see them in the afternoons before they get off."
In Sumner County, there are four teachers and even an assistant principal who trained to get the necessary CDL license to help fill a few positions.
"They asked me about driving. And I thought it was a really bad idea at first. And luckily the support from the transportation department here made it easily accessible so they helped me with the training for my CDL. [They] were with me every step along the way," recounted Howard Elementary Assistant Principal Thomas Spears.
Spears said although it is more hours before and after the school day, the work is rewarding.
"Luckily, for me, I actually get to drive the kids that I'm with all day long to school, so I'm almost like, I pick them up at home and I drop them back off at home and I get to stay with them during the day," Spears explained. "As a school person, we're always wondering how it looks at home, and what that's gonna do to help them learn or distract from learning once they get there. And so I get to know how they woke up. Are they on the right side of the bed or the wrong side of the bed? Maybe correct that before they get to school and to the teachers."
While districts are looking for individuals willing to train for their CDL license, they are also looking for good people.
"For a bus driver [you need], compassion, empathy, love, and energy and drive because there are challenges out every day. We deal with traffic, we deal with weather. We all know that people are human and there are challenges where maybe a parent is not at the bus stop," explained Grasty. "But that bus driver has to have the patience to take care of the kids that are in their bus because that's what's most important... We're not delivering packages, we're delivering people's children."
To apply in a county near you, go to the school district's website and look for the careers tab to find an opening.
