Osceola County still needs qualified bus drivers this school year, even though there’s only about nine weeks left before summer break.
There’s a need for about 20 more drivers. That figure is down from about 60 when the school year started, thanks to the efforts of the School District’s Transportation Department, who has held a series of job fairs, nearly monthly, for the last six months.
About 20 prospective employees showed up with paperwork in hand for the last one on March 9, said Zach Downes, the department’s community relations specialist, who said the messaging or marketing hasn’t changed over these months of hosting potential drivers.
“We’re getting more people to go through the process,” he said, noting it requires getting a temporary commercial driver’s license, then getting drug screening and background checks before training starts. It’s about a one-month process from applying to getting certified.
“We’re pushing for drivers all the time. There’s still open routes, and we know there will be open routes next year as well,” Downes said. “When we finish this school year, we’ll evaluate those for openings.”
The School District isn’t in the crisis mode — one it shared with many other neighboring districts at the start of the school year. Last summer, the district increased the starting wage for a driver to $16.50 per hour.
“Some routes have dissolved due to lack of a need,” Downes said. “We’re still focused on this school year, but when it ends, we’ll start to study how many students will be eligible for transportation in the fall, and where they will be.”
Osceola County’s growth rate — and the driver attrition that happens each summer in many school districts — could leave a fair number of routes open again when the 2023-24 school year starts. That makes the search for drivers an ongoing assignment.
The next job fairs are tentatively scheduled for April 12 and May 10 at the Transportation Services depot at 401 Simpson Road. Those who can apply online at jobs.osceolaschools.net prior to one of the job fairs will speed up the interview process.
Anyone still inquiring about driver’s positions can contact the Transportation Services HR team at 407750-9317 ext. 30820.
