The school board at Moore County Schools in Carthage, North Carolina, approved a new policy on July 15, requiring all support staff; custodians, cafeteria assistants, and teacher assistants to obtain a school bus license and be available to drive routes, thepilot.com reported.
The national school bus driver shortage has been felt at Moore County Schools, and the staff there have been struggling to get students to school in a timely manner. The article reported the school district has tried many attempts to get bus drivers, including increasing their wages to a starting salary of $13.54 an hour.
Going into the fall, the district will run 118 routes. However, they currently have 207 drivers signed up, and reportedly may lose several in the first few weeks of the school year.
The new requirement that school support staff be dual-qualified as a bus driver will apply to both existing employees and new. For those who are hired on Aug. 1 or later, they will have to complete the driver certification class prior to starting and will have to obtain their license within 90 days of the class.
