Taking their concerns to school board members just a week and a half for before school starts, Polk County bus drivers said they’re being forced to put student lives in danger rushing to make their routes.
Their last-ditch appeal Tuesday to a standing-room-only school board meeting to get pay raises and more bus drivers, however, was unsuccessful.
The drivers say having fewer bus drivers forces them to do more with less this school year.
Starting pay for Polk County bus drivers is around $10 an hour. Driver Kathy Lewis says she barely makes over minimum wage.
“I am making .45 cents more an hour than what I was when I first started 8 years ago,” she said,
“We would love to see us start out at $14 an hour,” said Margie Patterson.
Patterson has worked as a driver for more than 30 years. She’s also the vice president of the bus driver’s union, the American Federation of State County Municipal Employees.
Despite her long tenure, she says even she makes less than $20 an hour. She says she’s not the only one doubling her workload to cover routes.
“In Polk County, we normally cover three routes, one for a high school, an elementary and middle school. Now I’m covering five routes. I wake up at 4:30 am and don’t finish my routes until 6:30 pm most nights,” Patterson said.
That disparity, she said, puts student lives at risk.
“We love those kids but we can’t ensure the safety when we’re rushing to make our routes. Even though we try, Lord knows we try,” she said.
School board member Billy Townsend said the district is short 40 bus drivers and says the board understands the concerns, but their hands are tied.
“The money we have is the money we have. We can only do so much with that pot," he said.
It leaves drivers questioning what it’s going to take for changes to come.
“We need to be able to support our family,” Lewis said.
School board members say hiring bus drivers is a priority. They plan on using the little money they have to fill open positions and pay raises would be the second priority. No timeline was given on when or if that will happen.
School starts in Polk County on Aug. 13.
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