At its September 30 Committee of the Whole meeting, the Pender County Schools Board of Education approved a proposal designed to strengthen student transportation by investing in bus driver incentives.
This initiative supports the district’s Strategic Plan under Investing in Infrastructure, which focuses on conducting efficient, sustainable, and effective operations that meet the needs of a growing community.
Addressing Challenges
Like school systems nationwide, PCS continues to face challenges with bus driver attendance, retention, and recruitment. Families have experienced transportation delays, including late bus arrivals at school and later-than-usual drop-offs in the afternoon. While no instructional time has been lost, these delays have created challenges for families and after-school activities.
Since the start of the year, PCS has averaged a shortage of six to eight drivers per day. A nationwide report (HopSkipDrive, 2024) showed that more than 90% of school districts faced bus driver shortages last year, with 60% calling the shortage “severe.”
Proposed Incentives
To address these issues, Board Members approved the following incentives:
1. Daily Attendance Incentive
Offer a $5 per run daily attendance incentive to the driver of each yellow school bus.
Any staff member who drives a bus run will qualify for the $5 per run incentive, regardless of their years of experience, certification level, or position within PCS.
Example: A driver who completes both an AM and PM run would earn an additional $10 per day.
Budget Impact: The $5 daily run incentive would be a PCS yearly budgetary item based on the number of established runs. Based on the 2025–26 school year (starting on day one), the cost would be:
Estimation Formula for PCS: (321 daily runs × $5 per run × 168 school days)
2. Increased Bus Pay for Certified Instructional Staff
Increase bus driver pay for certified staff by $5 per hour, raising the hourly rate to $27.80 per hour.
This increase recognizes the added responsibility of certified staff who take on driving duties in addition to their instructional responsibilities.
3. Instructional Assistant (IA) Incentive
Offer $5 per hour to Instructional Assistants who agree to take on additional bus runs outside of their normal assignment.
This initiative will require coordination with school-level administration to ensure classroom coverage while IAs are driving.
This incentive helps balance transportation needs with continued instructional support.
The projected annual cost of these incentives is not expected to exceed $600,000.
Why It Matters
These measures aim to improve daily attendance, retain experienced drivers, and encourage additional staff to support transportation. District leaders believe that timely approval and implementation will help reduce shortages, strengthen reliability, and ultimately support student success.
Superintendent Dr. Brad Breedlove emphasized the importance of drivers in the overall mission of PCS:
“Our bus drivers play a crucial role in the success of our schools. They are more than drivers, they are members of our team who ensure students arrive ready to learn each day. These proposed incentives reflect our commitment to supporting them while strengthening transportation for our families.”