A national shortage of school bus drivers continues to challenge West Michigan schools and families. Dean Transportation held a hiring event on Thursday in hopes of filling the myriad of open positions including bus drivers, bus attendants and service technicians.
The recruitment event ran from 10am - 2pm at the Wyoming Moose Lodge. Regional Operations Manager, Kevin Harkness,
told WGVU at the start of the event, he hoped to sign on between 5-10 new bus drivers and 10-15 bus attendants.
Last year, schools across the nation saw a bus driver shortage at crisis level, with many unsure if students would get to and from school. While Harkness said the bulk of those worries may be over, he believes West Michigan still has a long way to go.
“We’re still short. There’s still a nation-wide shortage, but we have been able to hire. Things have turned around a little bit. We are nowhere near where we need to be, as is anyone else," Kevin Harkness, Regional Operations Manager with Dean Transportation said.
Dean Transportation serves Grand Rapids Public Schools and Kent Intermediate School District, handling most of the special needs transportation in Kent County districts.
Dean is offering qualified candidates up to $23 per hour for school bus drivers, $16.50 per hour for school bus attendants and competitive wages for service technicians based on certifications. Harkness said these roles are critical not only to education access but kids and families as a whole.
“In most cases, the driver and or the attendant are the first or last people they see every day," He explained. "...A lot of times these kids are going to empty homes. Parents are working. Parents are doing what they need to do, so we’re the last people saying, 'Hey good night. We’ll see you in the morning,' and it’s very important.”
More Dean recruitment events can be expected in the coming months.
