Orlando schools need up to 100 drivers — Is it Time to raise their pay?

Orange County Public Schools is trying to fill a significant shortage of school bus drivers, raising a broader question as the district struggles to recruit enough workers: Would higher wages help put more drivers behind the wheel?

OCPS says it currently needs approximately 50 to 100 additional bus drivers to reach staffing levels that would allow the transportation department to reliably cover absences. The district operates roughly 520 bus routes, making drivers an essential part of getting thousands of students to and from school each day.[

The district has been holding two transportation job fairs each month, with about 20 potential candidates attending each event. However, becoming a school bus driver takes time, particularly for applicants who still need to obtain a commercial driver’s license. OCPS says new training classes have recently been producing roughly six or seven candidates every couple of weeks.

What does OCPS pay bus drivers?

According to the district’s current benefits information, benefited bus operator positions pay approximately $18.23 to $21.88 per hour depending on experience. OCPS also offers paid CDL training, no-cost individual health insurance, paid holidays, sick days and participation in the Florida Retirement System for eligible employees.

Those benefits make the position more attractive, but the continuing shortage raises an obvious question: Is the current hourly wage enough to attract and retain the number of drivers Orlando schools need?

The district itself has not said in the report that increasing wages is the solution. OCPS transportation officials are instead emphasizing recruitment, training and benefits as they work to bring more drivers into the system.

For parents and students, however, the issue goes beyond employment numbers. A shortage of drivers can make it more difficult for the district to cover routes and driver absences consistently.

OCPS’s next transportation job fair is scheduled for Oct. 26 from 9 a.m. to noon. The district says applicants with a clean driving record who can pass a background check can apply, including people who do not yet have a CDL.

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