School bus operators say drivers ‘still wanted’ regardless of plans for upcoming school year
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Just days before Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and state education leaders announce plans for school in the fall, some bus companies that serve districts in the Twin Cities are already mounting an all-out campaign to bring on more drivers, regardless of whether in-person learning gets the green light.
“No matter what happens, we’re going to need drivers,” said Jenifer Doyle with First Student in Brooklyn Park.
Doyle says First Student has about 2,500 employees and 1,400 bus routes throughout Minnesota. But that company and others say a critical shortage of drivers which existed before COVID-19 has continued through the pandemic.
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“The difficult part is getting the word out that we are still hiring because, with school in flux, people may assume that school bus drivers aren’t going to be needed,” Doyle said. “If everyone is still at home on distance learning, we still do school lunch deliveries, we still provide transportation for essential workers, for their child care.”
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Doyle anticipates the need for more bus drivers will only intensify if the state announces a return to in-person learning or a hybrid of online and in-school instruction.
First Student is currently seeking to fill more than 100 bus driver positions. It is among several companies offering $18 dollars or more an hour, signing bonuses, and other perks to get people to apply.
Drivers and operators tell 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS efforts to attract more applicants has been hampered by the fact that school bus drivers are considered seasonal workers and don’t qualify for unemployment over the summer.
First Student says it’s hosting job fairs on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the following locations:
- 7200 Brooklyn Blvd, Brooklyn Park
- Keller Regional Park, Maplewood