San Angelo ISD Board of Trustees Vote to Increase Bus Driver Starting Pay to $20 per Hour

During the San Angelo ISD Board of Trustees Regular Board Meeting on Monday, August 15, 2022, SAISD administrators presented a recommendation to increase bus driver starting pay from approximately $15 per hour to $20 per hour. The Board of Trustees voted 7-0 in favor of the administration's recommendation to increase pay. 

“Our school day starts for many students at the neighborhood bus stop. Our incredible drivers set the tone for the school day and create the conditions for a successful education. Through building positive relationships, providing a safe and secure start to the day, and serving as a liaison to the campus, our bus drivers are the first contact for over 2,400 students everyday in SAISD” said Dr. Carl Dethloff, Superintendent of SAISD. “We want to do all we can to compensate them fairly and to honor the key role that they play in shaping the lives of the youngest members of our community.”

Like school districts and businesses across the United States, SAISD is also experiencing an unprecedented bus driver shortage accompanied by an increase in student ridership currently leaving eight bus routes without drivers for the start of the 2022-2023 school year. To fill that need, we are looking for difference makers to join our transportation team as bus drivers. In addition to the increased starting pay of $20 per hour, new bus drivers are also eligible for a one-time, new employee hiring incentive of $500 to be paid in two equal installments of $250. New staff with full certifications (Class B CDL with Passenger and School Bus Endorsements) hired by September 2, 2022 will receive a signing bonus of $1,000 in addition to the new bus driver hiring incentive.

Current full time drivers, monitors, and mechanics are also eligible for a recruitment incentive for each new certified, full time bus driver he/she successfully recruits to join the department. The recruitment incentive of $500 will be paid in two equal installments of $250. 

“Our valued bus drivers already on our SAISD team will also receive a pay adjustment based on this new starting pay, so they too receive an adjustment of $5.00 in their hourly wage.” Dr. Farrah Gomez, Deputy Superintendent/Chief Academic Officer explains. 

Applicants will receive free on-the-job CDL and certification training if needed. Other benefits include flexible hours with school holidays and competitive benefits including health insurance and retirement benefits through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. 

As a reminder to our families, SAISD is addressing the bus driver shortage with a temporary delay of bus transportation for our high school students, in grades 9-12, at Central High School, Central High School on Oakes, and Lake View High School for the first two weeks of school. Transportation for high school students will resume Tuesday, September 6, 2022 after the Labor Day holiday. There will be no change to elementary and middle school bus routes.

To apply for open vacancies, visit www.saisd.org/jobs. All interested applicants are encouraged to apply regardless of experience level. To stay up-to-date on San Angelo ISD, please visit the SAISD website at www.saisd.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.