Rock Hill School District in South Carolina has added 41 new school buses and has a fully staffed transportation department for the first time in years, a move district officials say is improving readiness and morale as the new school year begins, reported WCNC News.
A total of 111 school buses will now cover 719 routes daily, with drivers logging approximately 12,000 miles each day. Officials say increased staffing and expanded fleet capacity are expected to ease delays and improve transportation reliability.
“We had to start early, and we had to ask our district to make sure pay was involved,” said Transportation Director Sherrie Owens via the article. “We had to increase the initial entry rate and then put out on social media, all the internet we can use, to make sure everyone [would] come and show up.”
Rock Hill Schools reportedly held its first-ever Transportation Open House last month, where families met drivers and received route information. A district-wide pep rally followed on Friday.
District leaders’ credit targeted recruitment efforts, including a pay raise, with helping to resolve long-standing staffing challenges ahead of the 2025–2026 academic year.
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