As the children’s song lyric says, “the wheels on the bus go round and round.” For many school districts, including Cambridge City School District, not as many wheels will be going round this fall as a state-wide shortage of bus drivers is also impacting Cambridge.
“We’ve added a dozen new buses in the past five years, we just opened a new transportation facility, now, we need drivers,” said Cambridge Superintendent Dan Coffman. “At this point, we are facing a very real possibility of cutting two routes this school year.”
Cutting two daily routes means students will be on the bus longer, will have to be at the bus stop earlier, and get home from school later.
“It is not an ideal situation,” Coffman admits. “Every school day starts with our buses bringing more than 850 students to school and ends with our buses taking students home from school. We will continue to provide safe transportation, but it may take a little bit longer to get students to and from school if drivers have to run double routes or – if there are enough seats – run longer routes carrying more kids.”
Cambridge Schools has been advertising for drivers and recently raised the pay rate making CCSD bus drivers some of the highest paid in the area. Drivers also receive quality healthcare benefits, are part of the State Employees Retirement System, and can be hired in other positions between the morning and afternoon bus routes if they are interested. They can also earn extra money driving for field trips.
“This is a good situation for someone who does not want to work full time but needs good health benefits,” said Transportation Supervisor Dan Daugherty. “It is a great work schedule at only five hours per day and you get summers off.”
Cambridge City Schools will also pay for training and pay the candidate while they are training. The regular rate of pay applies when driving field trips and athletic trips.
If interested in becoming a bus driver, please contact Daugherty at 740-439-4013 or Coffman at 740-439-3641.