Ohio County Schools Needs Bus Drivers To Take Wheel
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WHEELING -- Ohio County Schools is seeking to hire new bus drivers to ride area students to their education.
The school district presently uses 41 drivers on a daily basis - 29 for regular routes and another 12 for special education buses, according to David Crumm, director of operations for Ohio County Schools.
He noted the county is looking to hire two full-time drivers and is always in need of substitutes.
"We can always use additional sub drivers who are able to help on a daily basis," Crumm said. "There are always extra curricular trips, sports trips and other activities during the school day."
He recommends those interested in being a full-time driver go ahead and apply to be a substitute driver, get their training, and start the interview process. The job pays $24 an hour, and comes with full benefits to those who are hired on as full-time employees.
A bus driver typically starts at 6 a.m. on school days, and completes their morning run by 9 a.m. They have the middle of the day to themselves, then return in the afternoon to pick up students at about 2 p.m. They have typically finished with their runs and returned to the bus lot by 5 p.m.
But there are exceptions, Crumm added.
"Some leave the lot as early as 5:10 a.m. for their runs, and at night some don't get back on to the lot until 5:30 p.m.," he explained.
"But for most, (runs are) three hours in the morning, and three hours in the evening."
The drivers get 10 sick days and five personal days each school year, as well as the chance to earn extra income by driving students for field trips and academic events during the school year. School-related activities also happen during the summer, and bus drivers are needed.
Prospective drivers must go through driver's training, and that training is free to applicants. The training is done locally, with driver training taking place with Ohio County Schools personnel.
But before that, prospective drivers must sit through two weekends of classes in Wellsburg through a joint program with Brooke County Schools.
"It takes place on a Saturday and a Sunday, and again the next weekend, " Crumm said. "Once you're through that, you work with one of our trainers in Ohio County Schools. Then they get you trained in driving and ready for state testing."
The state testing is done at the Ohio County Schools transportation garage, he noted.
Those interested in being bus drivers should go to the Ohio County Schools website at boe.ohio.k12.wv.us. They should click on the menu, scroll down to "Careers" and then click on "Job Postings." The job posting for bus driver is always online, according to Crumm.
"Even if there's not a full-time position open, substitute bus drivers are always available," he explained. "Applying gives us notification that you are interested, and we can get the interview process started."
Crumm added it is good for new drivers to begin as substitutes and start taking trips.
"Then they are there and ready when a full-time position becomes available," he said.
Crumm admitted the school district is competing with many other employers for drivers, including those in the gas drilling industry.
But he noted there is an advantage to working for the school district in that it offers flexibility in schedule to employees they might not find elsewhere.
"Ohio County Schools is a great place to be employed," Crumm explained. "You get summers off, but we do some activities during the summer and there are opportunities to create income.
"And if you have a doctor's appointment, you are able to schedule it in the middle of the day."
Firefighters and police officers often become drivers for the school district after they retire, and many already have obtained the necessary commercial drivers license training that is required, Crumm said.
"But you do not have to have a CDL to apply," he continued. "We look for somebody who enjoys being around kids, and for whom safety is a priority. They are driving students and employees a lot of miles every single day."
He said prospective employees will be interviewed, then must submit to a background check and fingerprinting.
Once the background information comes back "clean and clear," the employee next is subject to a drug and alcohol screening. Then there is a clearing house check that is completed through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
"As long as everything's good to go, we start training," Crumm said.