School bus drivers can get $2,000 signing bonus as Kansas City districts face shortage
Some Kansas City area districts were so short on school bus drivers last year that they were forced to notify families at the last minute that their child’s bus was not going to come.
Districts struggled to maintain bus routes during record labor shortages, made worse during the highest peaks of COVID-19 transmission.
Without enough drivers, Kansas City Public Schools last fall made the call to eliminate 25 bus routes and redirected other buses to pick up students in those areas. And other districts, like Raytown, warned parents that they should plan an alternative way to get their kids to school in case their bus does not arrive.
This summer, districts are recruiting drivers early, and offering higher pay and incentives, hoping to avoid those struggles this coming school year.
On Tuesday as part of a recruitment push, Kansas City Public Schools held a media event to highlight the fact that it is offering a $2,000 signing bonus for bus drivers. Employees can also earn a $500 referral bonus by recruiting another driver.
The part-time positions start at $18.25 per hour during training, with a pay increase once drivers are fully qualified. Drivers are eligible for benefits, even when working part time. And officials said that drivers are guaranteed five hours of pay each day they work.
In the North Kansas City district, qualified and licensed bus drivers can earn a $1,000 signing bonus. District spokeswoman Susan Hiland said that most drivers work full time, and those who work at least 30 hours a week are eligible for benefits and a pension plan. New drivers make $19 an hour and receive year-round pay.
Christopher Walls, director of transportation for KCPS, said he’s learned that recruiting employees needs to be a year-round push, as he anticipates nationwide labor shortages for another couple of years.
“It’s been hard,” Walls said. “We’ve seen quite a few people in my role leave. We’ve seen a lot of supervisors that are choosing to retire if they can because it’s been more of a challenge.”
School districts have also struggled with a shortage of other lower-paid employees, such as food workers, custodians and paraprofessionals — and like them, several bus drivers retired or quit during the pandemic. Many drivers lost their jobs when classes went online, and some didn’t return last year as COVID-19 cases spiked. Districts struggled to find new licensed drivers during the ongoing national labor shortages.
“When COVID first took place, it was really different because, you know, school canceled and we were kind of out of work until we started delivering meals to the kids to make sure that they had food to eat,” said Jerome Franklin, a KCPS bus driver of 12 years who spoke to the media Tuesday.
“And then when school resumed to normal operation hours, we were kind of short on drivers. We had to double up some routes. And some days, some routes didn’t run and kids got picked up extremely late, so it was kind of difficult,” he said.
Franklin said that there is a lingering concern that some drivers might not return this coming school year, not because of the job itself, but because of “the outbreak of COVID and people still being able to catch COVID.”
School officials are hoping to get ahead of those staffing and logistical challenges this year. But Walls said recruitment is especially competitive as districts across the region find new ways to attract drivers.
Last school year, Kansas City Public Schools officials knew as early as Labor Day that they would need to adjust bus routes due to a shortage of about 25 or 30 drivers, Walls said. The district eliminated some routes, which meant that the drivers available often had longer routes, earlier start times and more crowded buses, he said.
“Maybe the ride was a little longer for them. But we still get you there on time. Maybe not (as early), but still before school started,” Walls said.
Walls applauded the district for trying to head off the problems. He said that he has spoken with neighboring districts, as well as industry professionals across the country, about how the district managed to adjust.
“We didn’t cancel activities. We didn’t cancel any athletic trips. We didn’t cancel any of that stuff last year because we had those fail-safes,” he said.
He said KCPS needs about 145 bus drivers to be fully staffed, and now has 110 committed to the job. Walls said the district will do everything it can before it considers rerouting buses or eliminating routes, although it has plans ready if necessary.
“We know the exercise now if we needed to get to that place. But the difference is we started our recruiting efforts earlier this year than we did last year. By starting back in May instead of mid-June or early July to do this, we’ve given ourselves a little more time,” he said.
In North Kansas City, recruitment efforts also are well underway.
“We have around 15 new drivers who will be trained by the end of the month. That will bring our driver numbers close to what is needed for the year,” Hiland said.
The North Kansas City district will hold a hiring fair from noon to 2 p.m. July 19 at Oak Park High School. Prospective employees can walk in and interview for several positions, including food service workers, paraprofessionals and bus drivers.
Walls said the top priority is finding drivers who are not only qualified, but also love working with kids.
Franklin, the Kansas City bus driver, said that connecting with students in his native city every day is what has kept him coming back to the job for over a decade.
“Every morning, I see the kids’ faces. I get to know them and I get to know what they’re going through on a daily basis,” Franklin said. “I’ve seen some kids that I’ve drove since kindergarten that are now graduating high school and they run into me and are happy to see me. … And I’m just so proud of their accomplishments.”
This story was originally published July 12, 2022 at 4:01 PM.
