They are also exploring the possibility of bonuses for new hires and for those who choose to stay on the force. 'Anybody and everybody who has a CDL in our school district could be called upon to drive at some time,' Pace said.Įven if you don’t have a CDL, Osceola County will pay for your training. Osceola County is looking for 49 drivers.Īnother option being considered includes recruiting local firefighters, police officers and EMTs to fill in on routes. 'I guess last time we talked they had about 70 vacancies,' Pace said. 'Unfortunately, they’re also experiencing the same challenge.'Īs an alternative, Lynx and the district are talking about possible discounts on bus passes for students at some of the high schools, but there are still issues to work through. 'You know our first question was ‘do you have drivers that are working part-time for you that might want to work part-time for us?’' said Superintendent of Osceola Schools Debra Pace. She believes a partnership between Osceola County and Lynx could help. The fair is for all support staff including mechanics, drivers, food and nutrition, custodians, painters, equipment operators, HVAC technicians and more.įor more information, visit main concern is getting her son to school. at Pinellas Technical College, 901 34 th Street South, St. Pinellas County Schools is holding a job fair on June 14 from 4 to 6 p.m. The transportation department said it hopes to advertise these positions and the increase immediately in an effort to train new drivers over the summer and have all routes filled by the start of school. “And I think we need to stay open-minded with other ways we can make this job more of what someone would want.” “Knowing the challenges we’ve faced with regard to bus drivers, I think it’s important we approve this raise,” said School Board Member Caprice Edmond. The increase also puts Pinellas County drivers among the highest in the Tampa Bay area, ahead of Polk, Hillsborough and Pasco County Schools. Texel mentioned the pay is more in line with private delivery companies and public transit. “One area we feel is a hindrance is driver pay.”Įffective immediately following the approval, bus driver pay went from $16.36 to $19.79 per hour for drivers, $17.98 to $21.76 per hour for relief drivers and $19.79 to $21.76 for lead drivers. “Even with the increased efforts, we are still seeing a shortage of bus drivers,” Texel told the board. Paula Texel, associate superintendent of Human Resource Services, thanked the transportation department as well as the Service Employees International Union and the Florida Public Services Union for assisting with swift research to get the motion in front of the board so quickly. The district currently has about 60 unfilled bus driver positions. Superintendent Kevin Hendrick introduced the item by acknowledging the efforts put in place to attract more bus drivers to the district but also recognizing the need for the increase. In a special called School Board meeting yesterday, the board unanimously approved a motion to increase bus driver pay effective immediately. Visit the PCS Community websiteĪs the governing body of the Pinellas County School District, the School Board is responsible for the control, operation, organization, management and administration of schools.

Pinellas County Schools establishes partnerships and builds relationships between families, communities, schools and the district to support 100% student success.

Athletics and Extracurricular Activities.

Find information and resources to support students education. The mission of Pinellas County Schools is to Educate and Prepare Each Student for College, Career and Life. Find information and resources to support your child's education. Parents play a vital role in their child's academic success. Jacobson Technical High School at Seminole (hs)

Pinellas Virtual School (es)(ea)(ms)(hs).

Pinellas Technical College Clearwater (ct).Nina Harris Exceptional Student Education Center (ec).Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Elementary (es).Kings Highway Elementary Magnet School (es).Gulf Beaches Elementary Magnet School (es).

Osceola school bus shortage