From the cover
Conroe ISD studies current, future transit needs
The action taken
The big picture
Melendez, who was promoted to director of transportation in August, said the district has made several adjustments in the 2023-24 academic year to help address the bus driver shortage, including: • Giving incentives to drivers to pick up routes • Approving two retention stipends for transpor- tation employees • Showing more appreciation through celebra- tions, events and lunches • Creating a precommercial learners program for training The pre-CLP program helps community members interested in becoming a bus driver obtain their commercial learner’s permit while training at CISD. Melendez said as of Oct. 20, there are 12 people in the program.
In terms of pay, Melendez said the district is look- ing to stay as competitive as possible. Bus drivers at CISD start at $19 an hour. In Montgomery ISD, the bus driver starting pay is $20.20 per hour. According to the Economic Research Institute, a company that collects salary market data for private and public organizations, the average hourly wage for bus drivers in the Greater Houston area is $18 an hour. Despite the efforts, Latoya Lloyd, a CISD bus driver for seven years, said she and the remaining drivers are still feeling the effects of the shortage. “It’s very stressful,” she said. “I don’t think the shortage is getting better, but it’s the way the drivers are helping and coming together that is making a difference. … We have everybody out here trying to cover these runs and get kids to school in a safe manner.”
In 2021, the transportation company HopSkipDrive, which operates in 13 states including Texas, started keeping tabs on the school bus driver shortage through a national survey. This year, the survey found that 92% of school districts and transportation companies that responded reported a lack of drivers is affecting their operations. Two years ago, that number was 78%. Melendez said the district is among those still facing staffing issues. However, he said the transportation department has filled 17 vacancies since last year when the district was struggling with 36 open routes. An open route is one that does not have an assigned driver. “If we don’t have an assigned driver, somebody has to drive that route,” Melendez said. “If we don’t have enough standby drivers, then ... anyone who has a [commercial drivers license] has to take on that job, on top of the job they already have.”
Starting wage for bus drivers at Conroe ISD
As of October, CISD had:
$19
$20
Average hourly wage in the Greater Houston area is $18 an hour
$19
19 open bus routes
57 vacant positions in the transportation department
$18
$16.50
$17
$16
$15 0
$19 an hour starting wage for bus drivers
45,000 registered bus riders districtwide
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
School year
SOURCE: CONROE ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: CONROE ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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