CMS Board Of Education Raises Rate Of Pay For Bus Drivers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education voted Tuesday to increase the hourly rate of pay for school bus drivers.

The new starting rate will be $17.75. This initiative will help the district’s efforts to attract and retain qualified drivers, according to CMS officials.

Driver pay rates will increase between $2 and $3 per hour, based on experience. The district will continue to provide $1,000 signing and retention bonuses for new drivers.

β€œWe are glad to have found a way to provide a more competitive pay scale for the employees who have the responsibility of taking children to and from school,” CMS Board Chair Elyse Dashew said. β€œThis new pay structure will make us more competitive with CATS and surrounding school districts, and should alleviate the bus-driver shortage. Getting kids to school on time for a full day of learning is more important than ever.”

The district currently has about 50 vacant bus-driver positions, with another 50 or so out on leave and 30 or so absent on a daily basis, according to CMS.

β€œWe are basically covering 140 vacancies every day,” Executive Director of Transportation Adam Johnson said.

Chief Operating Officer Brian Schultz said that the change in bus-driver salaries would be funded with transportation funds freed up by lower ridership and increased efficiencies in routes.