Substitute bus driver pay raised
Two big items concerning school buses were on the agenda at last week’s Gilmer County Schools (GCS) board meeting.
The school board members voted unanimously to give an old school bus to the Boys and Girls Club at their meeting Thursday, Aug. 18.
The Boys and Girls Club provides Gilmer County children with safe places for “learning, recreation and companionship” after school.
Effectively, this donation would help reduce the school’s operational burden and continue transporting students.
“This will allow us to not be responsible for transporting Boys and Girls Club,” Transportation Coordinator Emma Wells said.
In her request to donate the bus, Wells said GCS no longer uses the bus.
GCS will continue to maintain the bus and perform preventative maintenance on it while the club uses it, she said. It’s also planning to train two of the club’s staff members on how to drive the bus.
The GCS school board members also voted unanimously to increase substitute bus driver pay.
Substitute bus drivers have previously been paid $15 an hour.
Raising the pay scale might help attract more substitute bus drivers.
Substitute bus drivers would receive pay based on their years of experience.
This measure would not change the pay scale for bus drivers.