Oxford Schools Looking for Bus Drivers

By Alyssa Schnugg
News editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

Each school day, dozens of local bus drivers hold the safety of hundreds of children in their hands. With each turn of the wheel and step on the brakes, a bus driver has to always be aware and alert, all the while hearing the chatters of students sitting behind him or her.

Becoming a school bus driver in the Oxford School District requires more than just having a good driving record.

Prospective drivers are required to take a drug and alcohol test and take a Class B Commerical Driver’s license test. Each test costs about $85, however, drivers are reimbursed after they’ve driven for OSD for three months, according to Doug Cromwell, director of personnel, operations and planning.

Drivers are required to get school bus and passenger endorsements on their licenses and attend a one-day bus school. While a driver is getting their license and attending the bus school, the district provides additional training on how to back up a bus, left/right alley dock and parallel parking a bus, as well as training for the road driving part of the test.

“Additionally, to drive for the school district you must be fingerprinted and pass a background investigation as well as possess a good driving record,” Cromwell said.

Currently, the OSD is looking to hire three bus drivers.

“We’ve had two drivers decide to retire unexpectedly and another driver plans on retiring at the end of the school year,” Cromwell said. “We have an aging bus driver workforce and we anticipate a few retiring at the end of each school year.”

Oxford School District Superintendent Brian Harvey said that his district sometimes has some trouble finding enough bus drivers.

“Bus drivers are always a challenge,” he said in August. “People don’t drive school buses for the hourly pay. They do it for the benefits. The schedule is difficult for a lot of people.”

The starting pay for a driver with zero experience is $17.43 an hour and increases with each year of experience up to 30 years.

Folks interested in applying for a bus driver job can apply online on the OSD website.