As many of you know, there is a nationwide need for bus drivers. This shortage has been an issue for many years and grew during the COVID-19 virus. With a virus such as COVID-19 affecting so many people, it isn’t shocking that becoming a school bus driver wasn’t something most people considered, even with the precautions put in place, such as masks and social distancing. Another main reason for this shortage is bus drivers’ pay. 

The average yearly salary in Washington is about $41,000. The average annual salary of a school bus driver in Washington is about $39,000; though many bus drivers earn pay raises throughout their careers. School bus drivers also receive benefits, such as holiday breaks, sick days, insurance, and more. Even with these benefits, many bus drivers have recently retired or sought other job opportunities. So much so that 88% of schools in America currently have a bus driver shortage.

Felecia Lange, a bus driver for the Peninsula School District, stated, “I have never seen a shortage like this in my 29 years of being a school bus driver. Sports being canceled because of transportation is a new issue that we have been experiencing in the last few years.” She went on to talk about how “it is not just bus drivers. Many different businesses have been experiencing staffing shortages.” Lange’s favorite part about being a bus driver is the kids. She said she “loves seeing the kids grow up and become more mature.” Lange loves it when she gets to know all the students on her bus and is happy to be a bus driver for the Peninsula School District.

So many different things, such as COVID-19 and minimum wages, affect not only bus drivers but most people in America. Without school bus drivers, many children would not be able to go to and from school, which is why school bus drivers are so vital to every school in the nation. So remember to thank your bus driver next time you or your child receives a school bus ride.

Comfortable Salary ($42,650 – October 2022) ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Comfortable-Salary. 

Local, Axios. “Vanishing Bus Routes.” Axios, 29 Aug. 2022, https://www.axios.com/2022/08/29/vanishing-bus-routes. 

Salary.com, Site built by: “School Bus Driver Salary in Washington.” Salary.com, https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/school-bus-driver-salary/wa.

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