The Fayette County Public School System Transportation Department is looking to increase its staff of substitute school bus drivers to help cover routes for the upcoming school year.
School system spokesperson Melinda Berry-Dreisbach said no previous experience driving a bus or large vehicle is required. The school system provides training to candidates whose Motor Vehicle Report (MVR or driving history) and criminal background check turn up no problems that would prevent them from driving a school bus or working around children.
After acquiring a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) permit and completing a combination of classroom and driver training, candidates can take their CDL test. After passing the test and a required physical exam, they are hired as substitute drivers with the opportunity to become full-time drivers with benefits. Once drivers complete 20 full days of driving a bus, they are compensated $150 for their training time, Berry-Dreisbach said.
Drivers must start out as a substitute before advancing to a full-time position. Substitute school bus drivers cover routes for full-time drivers when they are absent or on leave.
Substitute pay is $25 per route, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, for a total of $50 per day. Morning routes are usually from 6:30-8:30 a.m., and afternoon routes are between 2-4:30 p.m.
Transportation director Roxane Owen said in addition to possibly becoming a full-time benefitted driver, other advantages to being a substitute school bus driver include working hours that coincide with that of school aged children, holidays and summers off and a flexible schedule.
Anyone interested in becoming a substitute driver should apply online as soon as possible by visiting the school system’s website, www.fcboe.org. There is link in the middle of the page for the online application. Training classes are formed as soon as applicants are interviewed and vetted.
For additional information, contact, Driver Trainer Dawn Wiley, 770-460-3535, ext. 166.
