A school bus sits empty Wednesday afternoon in the lot of the Limestone County Schools bus garage. Many more buses could remain empty if the lack of qualified drivers continues, LCS Transportation Director Rusty Bates said. Administration is currently looking for ways to attract applicants. 

For most Limestone County kids, their school day begins and ends with seeing the bus driver, the friendly adult in charge of safely transporting them to and from the classroom. However, Limestone County Schools is scrambling to find those friendly adults as it faces a bus driver shortage.

Despite being one of the few employers actually hiring in today’s tough economic market, LCS Transportation Director Rusty Bates said people are not applying for the job. He brought the issue up at the Tuesday meeting of the Limestone County Board of Education.

“We simply don’t have the drivers to continue going the way we’re going,” he said.

 Currently, the system has six utility drivers that are assigned routes on a daily basis and one substitute driver, in addition to the full-time drivers that man the rest of the fleet of 125 buses. Right now, he uses the utility drivers and the sub every day. He can’t afford to have any driver call in sick. Three drivers are planning to retire in May, meaning the sub will be promoted, leaving him with at least two vacant slots and no subs. He’s stretched thin and needs backup.

Superintendent Tom Sisk proposed the board consider reinstating the practice of allowing certified teachers to drive buses. Bates said he was informed this was a policy in place during former Superintendent Barry Carroll’s time, but was cut as a result of mismanagement. Sisk and Bates feel they could start fresh with the program.

“Driving a bus is a very important role — if we don’t bring them to school, we don’t serve them,” Sisk said. “So we need drivers.”

While the administration works on surveying teacher interest in driving buses, Bates is still processing field trip requests and looking for drivers.

“I drive routes, our mechanics drive routes — it’s all hands on deck right now,” he said Wednesday.

Problems

It’s a three-pronged problem Bates faces. One, applicants are few and far between. Two, those trained by LCS, which involves at least a 12-hour investment from Bates’ staff, start as subs, but soon find openings for full-time positions in other districts and leave.

“That’s the biggest kicker,” he said Wednesday.

One of the possible solutions Bates, Sisk and the board are toying with is drawing up a contract where the system will provide all training to qualified applicants, but once they become certified drivers, they must stay in the LCS system at least two years.

Finally, all the initial training and steps required to become a driver deter a lot of potential applicants, Bates said.

 There’s a mandatory 12-hour session with the Limestone County instructor, there’s a federal background check and fingerprinting process, a three-day state-mandated course and drug tests. Even if someone is well qualified, the time involved in getting into the driver’s seat can be a deal breaker for someone looking to get a job right away.

“If we don’t get some recruitment, we could be short two drivers — we’re facing that kind of deficit,” Bates said. “A lot of people don’t like that up front stuff when they’re looking for a job.”

Even after the training, some people find they don’t feel comfortable with the responsibility or aren’t physically up to the task. And it all adds up to no drivers for Bates.

How to apply 

Bates said all drivers only work two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon, but are considered full-time employees by the state. Drivers are granted full benefits and retirement.

For more information, or to view a detailed job description, visit www.lcsk12.org and click the “Employment” tab on the left side of the page. Applicants can also call the LCS bus garage at 256-232-5130 for more information.