Who’s hiring: Brunswick City Schools in desperate need of bus drivers next year
BRUNSWICK, Ohio (WJW) — It’s 33,000 pounds of crafted steel chassis, powered by an American-made 300 horsepower turbo diesel with a six-speed automatic.
It’s got 22-inch custom black rims, a great driving position and seats made of the toughest — yet sort of comfortable — leather-ish vinyl.
And it could be yours for about four to five hours a day, if you become a bus driver for Brunswick schools.
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The superintendent said getting new drivers on board is a big priority.
“We know that we’re going to lose nine drivers between today and the start of the 24-25 school year. We know we’re going to be nine drivers shy of where we are today,” Brunswick City Schools Superintendent Jason Niedermeyer said.
According to the National Education Association, currently, the average age of drivers nationwide is about 55, and many are retiring.
Despite many districts upping average pay to close to $20 per hour or more, few people are willing to get training to do it. So Brunswick is taking a different approach to recruitment: If you’re over 21 with a clean driving record, they’re letting you get behind the wheel for a test drive.
“As of right now, we’ve got 34 people signed up to come between 10 and 12 to drive a bus in our parking lot behind the high school,” Niedermeyer said.
Niedermeyer said by allowing people to take a test drive in a controlled area, they’re hoping that many folks will see that driving a school bus is not that bad.
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He said retired truck drivers, people who can wrangle a large RV, or someone who just wants to see if they can do it all are welcome to try. And if they decide they want to give it a go, there are perks.
“If you come and you apply and we end up hiring you, we’re going to incentivize you with a $1,500 stipend. We’re going to pay for your training. We’re going to pay for you to go for your CDL. We’re going to pay you for that training process,” Niedermeyer said.
Niedermeyer said they already have more than 30 people signed up for Saturday’s event, but they’re always open to more folks giving it a go.
It might lead new career or, at the very least, more respect for a person who’s carrying very precious cargo.
The event is set for 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 16. If you would like to pre-register, you can follow this link.
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