Looking for a job? Part-time work available as school bus driver
Rebecca Bates will be driving a yellow bus filled with York County students when school starts this week, even though it's not her actual job.
Bates, a full-time employee at Reliance Student Transportation, will join her fellow full-time co-workers as they take the drivers' seats that are not yet filled for the new school year.
A school bus driver shortage is plaguing bus companies and school districts across the country, as a good economy makes it more difficult for many employers to fill positions.
Add another layer of challenge when it comes to finding yellow bus drivers: "You can't just take someone off the street and put them behind the wheel of a school bus," said Curt Macysyn, executive director of the National School Transportation Association.
"School bus drivers are highly skilled professionals," he said.
Who is best for the job?
The most common people behind the wheel of a yellow bus are stay-at-home parents and retirees, Macysyn said.
"It appeals to a very specific pool of people, and that pool is rapidly shrinking," said Bates, who is the compliance and education director at Reliance.
The shrinking pool is caused, in part, by the low number of people looking for jobs. Also, with an array of jobs available, part-time workers, like bus drivers, are more easily finding full-time employment. Bates has found that to be the cause of higher turnover for this school year.
She and her full-time co-workers are able to fill in the empty seats because they all carry the license and requirements to be school bus drivers.
What scares people away?
Bates lost her job in the mortgage industry when her sons were young. Her boys had been enrolled in day care, a big household expense that ate up most of her salary, so her husband suggested she find a part-time job.
When a school bus driver suggested Bates try to get behind the wheel of a yellow bus, Bates said, "Oh I could never do this. It's way too big."
She did -- 12 years ago. Now, she shares that story with new driver classes at Reliance because that's often the greatest worry for them.
"It's not really as intimidating as it looks," she said.
The other snag in school bus driving is the amount of work it takes to become road-ready. Most companies, like Reliance, walk potential drivers through the steps.
Requirements to drive
According to the National School Transportation Association, here are the requirements to drive a school bus in Pennsylvania (each state is different):
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- Pass a physical administered by a school transportation physician.
- Submit a commercial learner's permit application.
- Pass vision and screening tests, as well as exams for a passenger endorsement, school bus endorsement, commercial general knowledge and, if applicable, air brakes.
- Complete a minimum of 20 hours of school bus instructions (14 hours classroom training, six hours in-bus training).
- Pass a road test.
- Conduct a simulated or actual railroad crossing and demonstrate the proper techniques involving letting students off a bus.
- Pass a criminal background check conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police.
- Pass a child abuse history check conducted by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare.
From the time of an initial application, Bates estimated that it takes four to six weeks to secure a license.
Where is the shortage worst?
Rural communities have been hit the hardest in this shortage, said Macysyn, from the National School Transportation Association.
The pool of candidates is already small for school bus drivers, and rural communities have even fewer people to recruit.
In response, some school districts have asked their teachers to begin driving buses.
"It's a natural extension of what they do," said Macysyn, fitting around their hours of teaching and providing additional income.
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