New Hanover County raises pay for bus drivers

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Big changes are on the way for New Hanover County bus drivers. At a meeting Tuesday night, the school board voted to raise the pay for drivers.

School officials say this is part of a long-term plan to gradually raise bus driver pay. They also hope it’s an incentive that will help end an ongoing driver shortage.

“If it wasn’t for us, teachers wouldn’t even have a job,” Bus Driver Tammy Wilson said. “Principals wouldn’t have a job because about 70% of New Hanover County Schools kids ride buses.”

Some people call it a thankless job.

“We seem to be the lowest one on the totem pole and the last acknowledged,” Wilson said. “So for us, I think that is just awesome.”

New Hanover County Schools are trying to show their bus drivers that they care.

The school board voted Tuesday night to raise the starting salary of bus drivers to $14 per hour.

“It just seems like we carry a lot of responsibility with what we do,” Wilson said.

Assistant Superintendent Eddie Anderson agrees, and says this raise is part of a two-year plan to eventually get drivers up to $15 per hour.

“Most of our bus drivers, probably around 98%, are working full time and getting full time benefits, which is a real plus,” Anderson said.

School officials hope it’s enough to solve ongoing shortage.

“20 drivers would give us full coverage, because we always have about 9% of our workforce out on any given day for long term medical, for anything,” school board member Nelson Beaulieu said.

Beaulieu says 20 drivers is how many more they desperately need. Without enough, bus drivers are forced to take on extra routes and those routes can take longer.

“We’re only one person,” Wilson said. “We can only drive one bus and we’re trying to get there as safely and as quick as we can.”

They all hope this pay raise will help everyone, including students and drivers.

“You just want to feel like you’re worth more,” Wilson said. “Your value is higher.”

Beaulieu says they have around 130 bus drivers right now, but are hoping to get that number up to 150.

He says the board also voted to start paying new bus drivers right away, as opposed to making them wait four to six weeks in the old policy.