BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — From Green Country to across the nation, public schools are dealing with a shortage of bus drivers.
Richard Aldaco, Lead Driver at Broken Arrow Public Schools, didn't always want to be a driver. However, his mom always did.
“She sadly passed away before that could happen" said Aldaco. "She was studying the driver’s manual. One day after the services were done and everything, I picked up that driver’s manual, and I could not put it down. I was just addicted to reading it, and reading it.”
BAPS needs to hire 15 more drivers to be fully staffed for the fall. The school district's Transportation Manager, Tammie White, says people are often "intimidated" by the size of school buses.
"Driving a school bus is actually a lot of fun," White said.
Jenks Public Schools has 10 to 12 vacancies for bus drivers, while Glenpool has 4 — about the same amout of openings as last year.
Broken Arrow is seeing a slight improvement to their bus driver staffing, compared to last year. They currently have 7 students training for Commercial Driver's License (CDL) certification.
Fully trained drivers at Broken Arrow earn between $15.66 and $17.38 per hour for full-time work, with full benefits.
Like Broken Arrow, Jenks also provides paid training, on-site.
Bonnie Rogers, Chief Information Officer for Jenks Public Schools, adds a couple of other perks for the role: it offers the same schedule as children and is a great job for retirees.
Job Board Links:
Broken Arrow Public Schools
Jenks Public Schools
Glenpool Public Schools
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