Keeping employee turnover low and satisfaction high can be a multi-faceted order for student transportation departments. Safe and reliable transportation must be provided for the students. To maintain those requirements, there are three crucial facets for districts to consider: Training, recruitment and retention.
Keeping Employees Aware with Training Opportunities
Andrew Krokowski is the transportation supervisor at South Lewis Central School District in New York and a recipient of the 2023 Top Transportation Team Awards, presented by Transfinder last summer at STN EXPO Reno. Krokowski and the other five award winners were chosen based on survey responses from transportation employees who provided insight on work morale, leadership and well-equipped operations.
Krokowski explained his approach to employee training this way: “If I didn’t tell you, how can I expect you to know?” He said his district has prospective employees go through a paid driver training course, where they receive behind-the-wheel instructions as well as curriculum that explains the district’s policies and procedures.
Additionally, applicants can obtain a certification to become a transportation attendant or monitor and ride along on bus routes to get real-life experience on what their full-time position will entail.
Krokowski also discussed the department’s “Elite Licensing Program,” a paid summer training program where employees choose the topics based on what they would like to learn more about. This could include topics such as situational awareness or personal wellness. Classroom teaching, Krokowski said, consists of “a structured conversation, rather than a lecture style lesson.” He explained that this allows for immediate feedback and input from everyone involved.
At the end of the summer, a department roadeo reiterates and reinforces the conversations in a fun environment. “By providing additional opportunities for prospective employees to work additional hours allows for our operation to monitor their skill sets, the applicant to obtain a better understanding of the job and once hired for a full-time position a clear understanding of how we operate,” said Krokowski.
Meanwhile, at Georgia’s Dublin City Schools, transportation director John Strickland said drivers appreciate the training because liability weighs so heavily on operations.
“I definitely believe the more training and just knowing updates on areas our system can improve [and] help with the performance of all our drivers,” he said. “Our drivers don’t want anything to happened to their students on their watch.”
Strickland said his district utilizes state requirements to make safety training manageable and updated for both experienced and novice drivers. He said that all bus drivers take part in pre-planning sessions held before the start of the new school year, where they review national and state requirements that may have been updated, revisions to the district’s 24 routes and areas to improve.
He also noted that the district works with the Regional Educational Service Agency to provide training on student behaviors on board the bus and current first aid training for school nurses. Strickland added that he tries to include classes specific to the drivers on staff development days throughout the year.
Director of Transportation Shelene Lochner at Marion Central Schools (MCS) in New York said she utilizes the experience of veteran drivers when training new employees. She explained that the district’s head bus driver leads both individual and group training sessions and drivers with more years of experience conduct ride-alongs with the incoming employees.
She said this method “provides a valuable tool kit to the perspective new drivers; plus, it’s a win-win for all involved, affording different perspectives to those learning while giving earned credence to our veterans while forwarding the training process.” Lochner added that she has learned that ongoing training helps to battle complacency in the workplace and allows for simultaneous staff education and connection building within the department.
“Over the years, I have found that sharing information obtained at workshops, conferences and professional development seminars helps employees experience the bigger picture involved with coordinating and problem solving the ever-evolving transportation needs,” said Lochner. “Their inquisitive nature produces different, often helpful, thoughtful paths. Taking the time to share lends to team building, a sense of inclusion and excitement for the staff.”
Recruitment Through Workplace Benefits
Lochner listed a few recruitment strategies including a competitive pay scale, a benefits package that includes health care coverage, paid sick and personal days, and 12 paid holidays, which she noted weren’t always recognized by other contracts in the area. She said she also draws applicants through a description of the community-driven and welcoming family nature of a rural area, as MCS has a smaller fleet of 22 buses. She added that the district held a successful recruitment event at the bus garage, where transportation staff spoke with interested applicants about their experiences and provided insights into what the job requires.
“Sales pitches are important but pale in comparison to speaking one on one with those in the driver’s seat,” she said, adding that these conversations can reduce anxiety about driving a school bus for the first time and student management onboard the bus.
Regarding pay, Strickland noted that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp approved a budget that allowed extra funding for increasing pay scale. This lead to Dublin providing the highest driver salary in the region. He said the district is considering a 4 percent pay increase this upcoming school year. He also said that attending local job fairs and recruiting through social media sites are strategies the district employs.
Strickland said employees are encouraged to recruit people they know, so it’s especially important to stay consistent with positive work environment practices, such as communication with district leadership when assistance is needed with student behaviors on buses, organizing social opportunities, and incentive gifts given throughout the year.
“Our operation has been fortunate enough to only need to use word of mouth as a recruitment strategy,” added Kroskowski. “High employee satisfaction and performance has led to members of our team encouraging friends, family and even drivers from other operations to join our team whenever opportunity presents itself.”
He continued that it was important to create a “fun, fair and open-door atmosphere,” where potential employees can see that the transportation and district leadership are wanting to do their best to support every staff member.
Sustaining Retention Through Recognition and Open Communication
As a Top Transportation Team award winner, it was no surprise to hear Krokowski’s number one retention strategy. “Maintaining a team-style atmosphere,” he shared. “If one struggles, personally or professionally, we all struggle. If one has an achievement, personally or professionally, we all celebrate the achievement. Our team is more like a family, and I’ve heard a time or two that it’s extremely difficult to even think about leaving.
He continued that while it’s good to provide incentives such as free ice cream for employees, hosting lunches and team building activities, he has learned an open-door policy is key to encouraging employees to stay and thrive.
“Allow every member of your team an opportunity to tell you what they think will make the operation better or worse. This feedback is very valuable, unless you’re a mind reader, and when used successfully can take your team to the next level,” he said.
A standout note about South Lewis CSD is that it currently manages 19 routes with 30 drivers despite its rural and cold-weather climate. “Our area is notoriously known for receiving the most snowfall east of the Mississippi every winter,” explained Krokowski. “Our fleet of 24, 66-passenger school buses [is] servicing nearly 1,100 students daily, within our 364-square-mile district.” The district developed a relief driver program that allows full-time employees to fill in when a driver needs time off or can substitute as an attendant or bus monitor when needed.
Strickland summed up his advice to create a desirable work environment. “We try to pay our drivers well, give opportunities to grow, make sure their driving environment is controlled by strong school administrators, do for our drivers so they know we love them and appreciate what they do, find and give incentives to make our folks want to come to work, listen to what they have to say whether good or bad, and give prompt responses,” he said.
Lochner said that strategies such as offering retirement programs, annual negotiated raises, investment options with employer contributions, and recognized seniority rights have resulted in longer retention rates. For example, she said two of her drivers have worked at MCS for over 40 years, and four employees have been there for over 20 years.
“Retention seems natural, even before I began 31 years ago,” she added.“We celebrate our family with birthday announcements, workday picnics, themed lunches, matching t-shirts, recognition for random acts of kindness, and personal support for anyone facing challenges or hardships. A simple thank you message broadcast over the bus radio on any given day goes far.” Lochner also echoed Krokowski’s advice to make sure employees have direct access to not only transportation leadership but also district officials, including the superintendent.
“By collaborating, we are setting up for success rather than being set up for failure,” she said.
Lochner noted that it can be easy to slip into a negative mindset amid all the pressures facing student transporters. But it’s crucial as a leader to “be visible, present, available, empathetic and inviting,” to boost retention rates and employee morale.
Krokowski described his leadership mindset of giving the employee the benefit of the doubt. “I also maintain that as long as the employee truly did the best that they can do, I will do my best to defend them,” he continued. “Even in difficult situations, morale remains high as they know that if they did their best, I’ll do my best to handle the rest … I’ve witnessed satisfaction and performance rise by instilling these core principles into our team.”
Lochner added, “There is no magic spell to recruit and retain transportation employees. As we know, the entire nation is suffering [from] shortages of bus drivers, monitors, attendants. We are thriving because of leadership, kindness, respect, inclusion, communication. Know your people individually, whether you have 25 or 250 employees. I make a concerted effort to replace the word ‘team’ with the word ‘family.’”
Editor’s Note: As reprinted in the July 2024 issue of School Transportation News.
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