Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. is looking to hire and train new bus drivers over the summer in preparation for the 2021-22 school year.
BCSC Director of Operations Brett Boezeman said that the school corporation would like to hire six or eight bus drivers and four or five bus monitors at an upcoming recruitment event. He added that they’re also looking for two bus garage mechanics.
“We are looking to recruit some new bus drivers so they can do our training and everything, get licensed and all certified over the summer, so they’re ready to go when the kids start back up in August,” Boezeman said.
The recruitment event is set for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bartholomew County Fairgrounds. Attendees will be able to test drive a school bus on site, provided they are over 21 and have a valid driver’s license, Boezeman said.
Individuals can also be interviewed on-site and get signed up to begin the hiring process, which includes a background check. Boezeman said that the school corporation begins paying individuals for training as soon as they pass the background check.
BCSC has hired about eight drivers since November, when it began a “hiring blitz.” He said that while the situation has improved from where it was a few months ago — at one point, there were about five or six open routes, he estimated — BCSC wants to be “proactive” so that they don’t end up in a similar scenario again.
“We don’t want to be in a challenging position when school starts back up in August,” Boezeman said. There will be at least a few drivers retiring over the summer, and there’s always a need for subs as well, he said.
On Saturday, attendees will be able to test drive buses with the help of trainers. Hopefully, he said, this will show people that driving a bus isn’t as intimidating as it seems.
The event will feature both large, yellow school buses and white activity buses, which are smaller and don’t require the same certification as a regular school bus.
“Our bus drivers, they drive two two-hour bus routes a day, and they’re paid well for that,” he said. “After referendum help, they start out at $19.32 an hour. But then there’s some people that want to supplement income during the day.”
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What: BCSC bus driver recruitment event
When: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Bartholomew County Fairgrounds, 750 W 200 S, Columbus, Ind.
Additional information: To test drive a bus at the event, you must be over 21 and bring a valid driver’s license. For more information or to apply ahead of time (which is not required), call 812-376-4246.
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