Schools short on bus subs

Looking for a part-time job? Want your afternoons free?

Then school districts across Wood County want to speak to you.

There remains a shortage of substitute bus drivers, to the point that administrators are getting behind the wheel to make sure teams and students get where they need to be.

Spring event start times for Eastwood athletes have been backed up for lack of drivers.

Athletic Director Jeff Hill sent a community email earlier this month that start times for away events have changed.

“This has occurred due to transportation issues that have occurred on our end due to a shortage of drivers. In many cases the earliest we can get a bus for an away contest will be 4 p.m.”

He said sub bus drivers have had to take regular routes, diminishing even more the number of drivers.

Transportation Coordinator Sue Volschow and Director of Operations Phil Donaldson have had to drive a trip to help get teams to their away games, according to Hill.

Late in 2014, the Eastwood school board approved a pay increase to $15.20 for substitute drivers. Next school year that will go up to $15.47, according to Volschow. That is what’s paid for a regular route; the amount paid for field trips is a bit lower, she said.

“We actually have a few routes that are open that we fill from the sub pool,” she stated.

There are a couple subs that drive every day, she added.

“I would like to have just a nice bank of subs, to take turns and give them as much or as little as they want.”

Jeff Culler, transportation director at Rossford, said he and his mechanics often drive because of a lack of substitutes. The district pays $13.50 per hour and also pays for the training.

Drivers must have a commercial driver license (CDL) and also take school bus driver classes.

“In my 35 years this is the worst I have seen recruiting drivers, often it goes with the economy,” he said. “A few years ago during the recession of 2007-2010 we maintained well with subs.”

With less unemployment it’s hard to find drivers, he added.

“Bus driving is a huge responsibility and when there are jobs out there with same pay and benefits with less responsibility it is difficult for schools to recruit, train and maintain school bus drivers,” he stated.

Bowling Green has five people who actively drive as substitutes, according to Transportation Director Carlton Schooley. “We could always use more, especially in the afternoon when we have high school and middle school athletic events wanting to leave early to get contests,” he stated.

BG drivers get paid $14.02 for morning and afternoon routes, and slightly less for field trips, he said,

Perrysburg also is constantly looking for subs. The district has had meet and greets, advertised on social media, reached out to firefighters and police officers who often have days off that they can drive. Two interested people attended the last info session.

Part-time positions — two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon — start at $17.89 per hour. With a one-year commitment, the school district will pay for and help drivers to obtain their Class B CDL and their school bus driver endorsement.

In North Baltimore, subs are paid $14.13 an hour.

Recruiting, training and retaining substitute bus drivers is always a challenge in Northwood, where subs make $12.40 an hour.

Elmwood pays their subs $14.50 per hour, increased with the recent contract agreement, and is always looking for subs.

Otsego pays 14.49 per hour and has trained several drivers this year but could always use more, said Superintendent Adam Koch.