Jackson School District holds ‘Bus Driver University’ for prospective employees

Hoping to find new drivers, Jackson School District offered test drives in their school buses Saturday, Oct. 22. In the empty parking lot at Jackson High School, 11 people came out to take advantage of the opportunity.

Keenan Kinder, assistant superintendent, said the district needs 12 drivers to fill out the roster, and he hoped giving people a shot at driving a bus would tempt them into joining the team.

"A lot of people are intimidated by the size of the bus," Kinder said. "It's not an experience a lot of people have had, to drive something that big."

Kinder explained there are a few factors causing a driver shortage schools haven't had to worry about before. It's a specific skill set not everyone has and many people drawn to being a bus driver are retired.

"However, once you turn 70, you now have to test every single year, which is a change from the past," Kinder said. "The biggest cause is a belief that students are harder to deal with now than ever before."

Brenda Harris, school bus driver and instructor for Jackson School District, gives potential new drivers some pointers before they take a test drive during "Bus Driver University" on Saturday, Oct. 22, at Jackson High School.Danny Walter

He said the schedule of the job isn't appealing to some, being part time with two routes a day, in the morning and afternoon.

"Drivers come in at 5:45 a.m. and return to the yard before 8 a.m.," Kinder said. "The afternoon shift runs from around 2:15 p.m. and returns between 4 and 5 p.m."

Kinder said the pay rate for a bus driver in the Jackson School District is $43.88 per route. He said two hours per route is how it is calculated, or $21.94 per hour.

"So, $87.76 per day, if they do nothing else, times 172 days," Kinder said. "Extra trips are paid at a different rate depending on the length of the trip."

Brenda Harris, one of the instructors showing potential drivers the ropes, said she has been a Jackson school bus driver for almost 12 years and an instructor for nine.

Potential drivers could test drive both a conventional and a transit bus. Harris said a conventional bus has a passenger capacity of 71 compared to a transit bus, the kind with a flat nose, that can carry up to 84 passengers.

Laurie Zieba, a part-time teacher, was one of the first to arrive Saturday. Harris led Zieba to a conventional bus, the kind that has a nose sticking out front, and two round, "cat-eye" mirrors.

"I always feel like I'm going to spear someone with them, they stick out so far," Harris joked.

She got Zieba settled behind the wheel and Harris showed her how to start the bus and what all the buttons are fo and what the lights mean.

"Every day before we start our route we do a pre-trip inspection and test all the lights, mirrors, tires and a lot more," Harris said. "Make sure everything is in working order. Doing the pre-trip correctly is part of the test you have to take to be a bus driver."

Soon, Zieba was driving around the parking lot, weaving between concrete rounds separating sections of the lot.

"I'm surprised at how sharp these buses can turn," Zieba said.

Harris was encouraging and pleased with Zieba's driving skills.

"She was a natural," Harris said. "I hope she decides to become one of our drivers."

"It was fun and interesting," Zieba said. "I'm glad I did it. Before taking the test drives, I would have said, 'No way!' But now I'm more inclined to consider becoming a driver. I'm sure this is a lot different than what it would normally be since there were no kids on the bus and we were just driving around an empty parking lot."

Two others who came out for the test drive were Nate Martin, a Jackson High School cross country and track coach, and his friend Witten Stoverink. When asked what they thought of driving the bus they both answered in unison, "It was a blast!"

Martin said he'd been tossing around the idea of driving the bus to track meets, and the test drive didn't frighten him away. Stoverink was considering becoming a driver as well and said, "You never know what life will bring."

Kinder said he was pleased with the turn out Saturday and that three drivers put in applications. He said they would likely hold another test drive session in the spring.

Anyone seeking more information on becoming a school bus driver for Jackson School District can call Kinder at (573) 243-9501.