Suburban school district offering bus drivers more than $17 an hour for fall

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school bus Photo credit Getty Images

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Huntley Community School District 158 administrators ended the school year but are already looking ahead as they struggle to fill a key position.

Finding bus drivers has been a challenge during this past school year, and the current labor shortage may exacerbate the situation.

District 158, in the northwest suburbs, is offering more than $17 an hour for drivers and more than $12 an hour for bus aides.

COVID-19 capacity limits added complications to the district’s return to full-time in-person learning in April. At the time, Superintendent Scott Rowe estimated they needed 10 to 15 more drivers to accommodate everyone next fall, if the roughly 40% who did remote learning come back.

For several years, the district has relied on residents of the nearby Dell Webb senior living community for some of its drivers.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Getty Images