As we continue our back-to-school coverage, school districts across the state are dealing with a lack of school bus drivers.
It's not just happening here in metro Detroit. Schools across the state are looking to hire more drivers, and some extra funding this year could be a game-changer.
Emily Moore has been driving a bus for the Novi School District for the past seven years.
“When I realized that there was a significant need for bus drivers, I decided to explore that," Moore said. There are learning opportunities and teaching opportunities, and there are opportunities to have fun on the bus.”
The school district is looking for more people like Emily to get behind the wheel.
“Right now, we can’t transport all of our athletic trips if they start before 4:30 because we just don’t have the manpower to do that. We are still getting kids to and from schools," Novi Schools Director of Transportation Cynthia Valentine said.
Hear from a school bus driver below
The district is looking to hire between 5-10 more drivers, and they are making adjustments to entice more people.
For example, pay used to start at $17.95 per hour, and this year it's between $21-$23 an hour.
Districts across the state are doing what they can to hire more people and accommodate for not having enough drivers.
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“We have again combined some routes, and restructured some things," Katrina Morris, the executive director for the Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation, said.
This year, she said, the funding is in place. $125 million in all. She said the money will be distributed based on how large the district is, how many lane miles the district travels, and how many students go to the school.
What Novi is doing to entice people to drive school buses
“There are some things that we still have to work out on that and understand a little bit, but at least there is something coming back to K-12, which like I said that has never happened before," Morris said.
That money will hopefully help districts across the state pay more and give better benefits.
If you are thinking of becoming a bus driver but unsure, Moore suggests taking a ride to see the action first-hand.
"What you might think bus driving is and what it actually is, could be two different things," she said.
