The Wilson Post
LEBANON WEATHER

County bus drivers to see pay bump




Officials with Wilson County Schools say a recently approved pay increase has helped ease the school system's shortage of bus drivers.Dallus Whitfield

Officials with Wilson County Schools say a recently approved pay increase has helped ease the school system’s shortage of bus drivers.Dallus Whitfield

Wilson County bus drivers will see their hourly pay rate increase by $3 following a vote by the Wilson County Board of Education Monday night.

Currently, the hire-in pay rate for bus drivers is $14 an hour, and the raise will up that to $17 an hour across the board, according to Wilson County Board of Education Chairman Larry Tomlinson. Some veteran drivers may see their pay climb to $25 an hour with the pay bump.

Funding for the pay increase will come from $700,000 in the county school system’s BEP (Better Education Program) monies. Tomlinson noted school officials were unaware until recently how much BEP funding would be available.

With funding now available, Tomlinson said school board could take the increase to county education and budget committees and move quickly to implement the raises.

Two weeks ago, frustrated bus drivers, parents and school board members met in a special session to address concerns about the county’s current bus driver shortage as well as efforts to retain current drivers and recruit new ones.

Tomlinson said the $700,000 will cover a raise for current drivers, but the Wilson County Commission would have to approve the pay increase for new recruits. Wilson County Schools Transportation Director Jerry Partlow said he needs another 30 drivers. With the pay increase, Tomlinson said he feels the system can retain current drivers and perhaps another 10 would be necessary.

“That was my concern,” Tomlinson said. “This $700,000 will just give raises to our current drivers and won’t cover any new hires from what I understand.”

Wilson County Deputy Director of Schools Mickey Hall said the recent focus on taking better care of bus drivers has led to a two-fold increase in applications over the past few weeks.

“If this pay raise attracts more drivers, hopefully it will go to the county commission to ask for an appropriation to hire them,” Tomlinson said. “At their last meeting, they seemed to buy into our plea about our bus drivers.”

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