PENNSYLVANIA, USA — With school officially back in session, the importance of bus drivers is more critical than ever. There are still currently a number of bus drivers needed for districts across the Commonwealth.
State officials were at the Rohrer Bus Facility in Perry County Tuesday, highlighting bus drivers' dedication to their work and promoting the benefits of becoming a bus driver.
Open bus driver positions have been cut in half over the past year, but officials say there are still plenty of openings across the education workforce.
"To give a little context; the education workforce has been challenged as a whole over the past decade, and that's inclusive of not just teachers but also school librarians and school bus drivers," said Acting Secretary Eric Hagarty. "We have a lot of work to do to make sure that our schools are fully staffed and that kids can get there safely and reliably."
Around two to three thousand drivers have been recruited over the past year, but Secretary Hagarty hopes to employ an additional two to three thousand more.
The School Bus Association has developed a website called youbehindthewheel.com for Commercial Driver's Licenses (CDL) drivers and people interested in becoming one. The website was built with the intent of matching prospective drivers with driving positions for school districts.
Last October, PennDOT and PDE reached out to approximately 375,000 CDL drivers to issue a survey that would connect interested drivers with school entities. To date, more than 1,700 individuals have expressed an interest in serving as bus drivers.