As bus driver shortage continues, Chandler Unified School District bumps up pay

The Chandler Unified School District is increasing pay for bus drivers as a nationwide shortage of those workers continues.

At a governing board meeting, Executive Director of Capital Projects and Operations Tom Dunn said the district formed an advisory board of drivers to explore strategies for improving retention.

“[We were] really wanting to understand what they deal with on a day to day basis, how we can support them, training we can provide, how we can be more efficient," Dunn said, "and from that, compensation kind of rose to the top of something that’s actionable that we could show our support for the drivers and what they do for our students on a daily basis.”

That board is recommending a new pilot program to boost pay.

All continuing drivers will get $1,000 if they remain employed as a driver through the end of this school year. Chief Financial Officer Lana Berry said in addition, about 60 drivers who’ve had to pick up extra routes due to the shortage will get back pay.

“They had to do it a certain number of times to be eligible for that, we’d like to give them a back stipend for that for this fiscal year of $500," Berry said. "hen they would be eligible if they’re going to drive five or more times with a combined route that they would get that access to a $500 stipend for the fourth quarter.”

It will cost about $600,000 to try the program now through May of next year. Drivers will also get a 2.4 % bump in their hourly wages next year.

About 160 drivers work for the district. Dunn says about 200 would make them fully staffed.