HCPS FL Logo Facilities
Action Item
DATE: Tuesday, December 11, 2012
TO: School Board Members
FROM: MaryEllen Elia, Superintendent
SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS

Approve a School Bus Driver Recruitment and Retention Incentive Plan

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Currently the bus driver workforce has:

  • 144 vacant bus driver positions / 966 filled bus driver positions
  • 21 drivers on leave of absence
  • 40 vacant routes
  • 20% daily absences

To cover all routes, Transportation has scheduled 34 daily double or triple tripped bus runs and has only 15 bus drivers for sweep runs.  A sweep driver is an unassigned driver who fills in for absent drivers.  Ten of these 15 sweep drivers have a temporarily assigned run.

In addition, each year, to accomplish various district requirements and initiatives, programs impacting transportation have been added.  Magnet numbers have been expanded from 7,525 students in 2009/10 to 8,233 students in 2011/12.  Various attractor programs with transportation have also been added to provide diversity to schools' student population.  This year, a state requirement to add an hour of instruction to the student day at 8 of the district's elementary schools added an additional tier to transportation routing.  All of these factors have added additional stress to the already challenging situation of bus driver recruitment and retention.

In an effort to recruit bus drivers, the following strategies have been implemented:

  • advertising via school marquees, strategic placement of buses around town with banners, notice on the school district website, magnetic recruitment signs on the side of district vehicles, and postings on bulletin boards at local universities
  • referrals from the Community Development Corporation, Tampa Workforce Alliance and MacDill AFB

While these strategies continue to produce bus driver applicants, challenges exist in the recruitment of bus drivers.  Stringent driving record and health requirements, a need for generous amounts of patience with children and a split-shift work day have a negative impact on recruitment and retention.  Also, after training and obtaining a CDL license, many workers leave the school district for a better paying 12 month job. 

The attached incentive plan has been developed in an effort to recruit and retain qualified school bus drivers.   (Attachment A)

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
• Demonstrate "best practices" in all aspects of safety including students, employees, visitors, facilities, transportation, and health
FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted:  Yes)
Annual costs of $30,000-$33,000 to be funded by Facilities Division / General Fund / Transportation RR&I Project 5395.
EVALUATION
Annual review of vacancies.
SUBMITTED BY: 
John A. Franklin   Cathy L. Valdes
General Manager, Transportation Department
(813) 982-5511
  Chief Facilities Officer
(813) 272-4004
    A 6.08
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20121211_519 (Board Meeting) * Section A Item# 6.08