The Monroe County Community School Corporation started the academic year with enough staff to cover all its bus routes.
The corporation has 84 routes and 89 drivers, according to the corporation’s director of transportation Scott Waddell. He’s still looking to hire a few more drivers.
The corporation had to change school start times last August to accommodate staff shortages that contributed to students arriving late for school.
Read more: MCCSC blames bus delays on driver shortage and increased ridership
“There's a nationwide shortage of CDL drivers for trucks and buses and transit motorcoach... and it doesn't look like it's going to get any better," Waddell said. "So we have to come up with better programs and better incentives and things like that to hire and retain driving staff."
Last August, he said the corporation started with 71 drivers, with some of those on medical leave and one retiring– leaving them an estimated 30 people short of what is needed.
He said increases to driver pay over the last year and an added $1,000 signing bonus incentivized drivers join the staff this year.
Read more: MCCSC changes school start times, bumps bus driver pay
Waddell said they’ve decreased lost instruction time for students, but it’s still an area they’re working on. He said he needs to hire four more drivers.
"So we're going to continue hiring," he said. "And there's also more programs that the school has planned, which will increase the need for more drivers. And I don't think we're at the level where you need to be for the whole district."
