TOLLESON, AZ — Bus drivers are unsung heroes across the Valley, getting students to school and back safely every day. Since the pandemic, there are fewer and fewer of them.
"Pre-COVID, there were 8,400 school bus drivers in the state of Arizona," Bert Herzog, the Transportation Director of the Tolleson Union High School District, said. "Since that happened...we've got less than half of that in the state of Arizona."
Many of the drivers in Tolleson left for other jobs as school activity stopped.
“When the schools went virtual, a lot of people just didn’t have a job," Herzog said.
Herzog says he's down 40 drivers. The district has not yet had to shorten or change routes but has had to back-fill temporary shortages with employees who have their commercial driver's license (CDL).
To combat the shortage, the district is holding a bus driver hiring event on Thursday, December 5. They will have on-site interviews at their district offices at 9801 West Van Buren St. from 8 a.m. to noon.
“Tolleson wants to hire the people that are going to make a difference in these kids' lives," Herzog said.
The average pay for a driver is $27 an hour. The district will also pay for new hires to get the required training and license to become a school bus driver.
For more information on the job openings, click this link to head to the Tolleson Union High School District website.
Learn more about becoming a bus driver here.
