Modifications to Bus Driver

Compensation Rates
Board of Education Meeting
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
 Objectives:
Provide Board of Education members
information regarding:
● Bus driver staffing challenges
Objectives & ● Actions that have been taken to address

Purpose the current challenges

● Proposed compensation modifications to
improve retention and recruitment

Purpose:
Request approval of proposed modifications
to the bus driver compensation rates
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 Bus driver shortages are a national,
state, and local issue.
● 1,300 bus driver vacancies across the state of
Bus Driver North Carolina
50 vacancies in Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Staffing
●

Schools

Challenges ● In addition to the vacancies, bus driver leave

and absences impact daily bus coverage
● Accelerated rate of separations since July 1,
2021

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 Staff has been working collaboratively
to address bus driver recruitment and
retention:
Actions Taken ● Recruitment task force (March 2021)

to Address ●

●
Ridership survey (May – July 2021)
Route and capacity optimization (July –
Staffing September 2021)
Advertising, job fairs, bus classes, fast-
Challenges
●

tracking applicants with Commercial Driver’s

Licenses (Ongoing)
● $1,000 recruitment and retention bonus
(August 2021)
● Compensation rate plan (October 2021) 4
 Proposed modifications would result in
the following:
● A reduction in the number of allotted driver
positions from last school year
Proposed Pay ● The reduction in vacant bus driver positions
and operational cost-savings will be utilized
Rate Increases to increase the driver compensation to
more competitive hourly rates – total
estimated cost expected is $4.9 million
● Proposed compensation rates would make
the district a leading competitor for bus
drivers in our area
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 Proposed modifications would result
in the following hourly rate increases:
Proposed Pay ● Starting salary would increase from $15.75
to $17.75 per hour
Rate Increases ● Tiered increases ranging from $2.00-$3.00
per hour would be applied based on
experience

6
Request for Action

Staff is seeking adoption of the proposed modifications

to the bus driver compensation plan as presented.
Approval of the rate increases will support recruitment
and retention of bus drivers for the students of
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

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Closing Remarks