Transportation is a vital need of every school district, and Gilmer is experiencing a bus driver shortage.
The topic was discussed at the Gilmer County Board of Education’s December work session. Assistant superintendent Dana Berry shed some light on the situation and explained how bus routes have been consolidated since the beginning of the school year.
“We started the year with 54 routes. We have squeezed every drop out of the orange and have nothing else to give in terms of compressing our routes,” Berry said. “We’ve eliminated nine routes, and we’ve tried to maintain pace with drivers.”
Berry noted attrition is not the issue as drivers leaving the profession has been static in recent years. The problem has been with recruiting new drivers, and the district has advertised the positions in local publications and newsletters.
“There is only so much pull up here. We’re trying to recruit retired folks who are still willing to drive,” he said. “Another one of our big challenges is the age of our drivers. Eight-two point seven percent of our drivers are over 50. Twenty percent of our drivers are 70 and older. We’re losing a lot to retirement and health reasons.”
The district has continued to make do with the personnel available. The three mechanics on staff have been driving buses in recent weeks because three drivers are currently on medical leave. Transportation director Samantha Kelley has also filled in on days when needed. With everyone driving, they are pulled away from their regular responsibilities, thus stretching the department even thinner.
“You can’t have everyone in transportation driving. We do need someone who is able to respond to accidents. All hands are on deck trying to tackle the problem. When compared to other districts, we’re in much better shape,” Berry said.
He referenced a neighboring district with 12 uncovered routes, which has forced other buses to run double and triple routes to cover the shortage. This method keeps kids on buses longer in the morning and evenings.
Berry noted “all routes are at the max level,” and bus rides are currently two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon.
Additionally, GCSS is without any substitute drivers. Their predicament is further compounded when drivers are needed for field trips or athletic events. The district has offered Gilmer coaches $60 per trip to those willing to be licensed to drive a bus.
“We may be in a position at some point where we require them to do it to maintain,” superintendent Dr. Brian Ridley said. “We’re dealing with the issues other local businesses are. We have a lack of affordable housing for people in that income range. A lot of the people who have moved here to retire, they don’t need to work and don’t want to.”
Yet another hurdle is a commercial driver’s license. Even those who are certified would need to take the entire course over before being able to drive a school bus, per state law.
Because of the unconventional hours of a bus driver, the district is offering package deals where employees would drive in the mornings and afternoons and work in the cafeteria during the day.
In Murray County, 45 percent of the district’s bus drivers are teachers who are paid an additional $15,000 per year, according to Berry.
“Even those who are paying lucrative amounts are still struggling,” Berry said. “We’ve put it out there for our teachers, for anyone who wants to drive. I’m happy to discuss that. We’re trying anything and everything.”
GCSS offers competitive pay compared to districts in north Georgia. Ridley mentioned that of the drivers who have applied, those who are disqualified from the employment process are mostly ones unable to pass a background check. Berry estimated that number to be around 80 percent.
“We’re making do, but we’re looking for any ideas,” Ridley said. “We certainly can’t force people to work for us. We’ve partnered with Murray County to hopefully get some of our applicants trained quicker. We’re hiring.”