Lufkin ISD is Asking – ‘Do You Want to Drive a School Bus?’

Sing the following in the style of Disney's 'Frozen'.

Do You Want to Drive a School Bus?

Many schools across the nation, Texas, and right here in the Pineywoods have had to cancel classes due to staffing shortages.  Sometimes those shortages involve finding enough qualified transportation employees to drive the bus routes to pick up and drop off students.

To help remedy this situation, the Texas Department of Public Safety announced the implementation of a waiver to help applicants seeking a commercial driver's license (CDL) to drive a school bus. The waiver will be effective from January 24 through March 31.

 To help states and municipalities that are experiencing a severe shortage of school bus drivers and to recruit new hires, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that states may waive the portion of the CDL testing requirement covering knowledge of the “under the hood” engine components. 

“This is great news for school districts across the state. It will save both time and money for the applicant and hopefully put more bus drivers to work,” said Dr. Daniel Spikes, Lufkin ISD Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services.

Lufkin ISD currently has 23 full-time bus driver vacancies and a need for 10 substitute drivers.

“The waiver is time-sensitive, so we’re encouraging applicants to take advantage of this federal opportunity while it’s available. There’s no better time to get your CDL to drive a school bus,” said Spikes.

Starting pay for full-time drivers is $15.70 an hour plus more based on experience. The substitute rate is $14.00 per hour.

Applicants wishing to take advantage of this waiver will need to book an appointment with Maria Harper, Training Supervisor at Lufkin ISD Transportation. Email mgharper@lufkinisd.org or call (936)630-4492 to schedule an appointment.

Applicants need not sing "Do You Want to Drive a School Bus" in order to qualify.