Just three weeks away from the start of school in Broward County, the school district is in dire need of bus drivers.
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Broward County Public Schools is hoping to hire 100 drivers in the next couple of months, joining the ranks of Ralda Forrester, a six-year veteran school bus driver.
“It’s really good; you get good benefits,” Forrester said.
They need a lot more people willing to take the wheel.
“We always need bus drivers for the start of every school year, and right now we’re about a hundred short,” said Dr. Simone Clowers, transportation director for the district. “It’s concerning that we are this short.”
What’s fueling the shortage this year? School district officials say it’s partly an immigration issue and a TPS issue. Broward County Public Schools lost 30 bus drivers recently because the state will not reissue driver’s licenses to district employees who are losing their Temporary Protective Status. So the recruitment effort is in overdrive.
“We provide you with all the skills you need to become a driver; we just need you to come apply,” Clowers said. “We’re looking for those that are calm, patient, respectful, alert, punctual, and really want to be here, like understand that your role is huge and significant.”
The goal is to have one bus driver for every route, so relief drivers don’t have to be called in.
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“The biggest advantage is timeliness to school and the time kids have to wait at the stop; if we don’t have a bus driver on every route, that means sometimes we have to double back and get the kids,” Clowers explained.
The job pays $21 per hour, and also pays dividends in other ways.
“Sometimes the kids, you know some of them get to really love their drivers, one of the drivers this morning showed me the gift card he got with the money that parents gave and tell him that oh, we love how you take my son to school and take care of him, my son loves you, so it has a lot of benefits to it,” Forrester said.
Drivers also have enough time during the day to work a second job, which many of them do. Also, in the process, new hires obtain a commercial driver’s license, which opens the door to other opportunities.
Anyone interested can apply on the school district website at www.browardschools.net
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