Financial Incentives Earmarked For New, Existing Bus Drivers

Ellicott City MD

19 November, 2021

11:49 AM

Description

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — All current bus drivers and attendants will receive $5,000 in incentive pay and new drivers will be given up to $4,000 when they sign to drive with the Howard County Public School System. Bus contractors hired to help fill inactive routes will earn up to $3,000. The perks were approved by the Howard County board of education to help address the bus driver shortage that schools across the nation are experiencing. Since the start of the school year, HCPSS has experienced a shortage of approximately 95 bus drivers. A $2 million commitment from Howard County Executive Calvin Ball will help cover most of the cost while the remainder will be paid for with transportation savings sitting in HCPSS's budget. The additional funding will provide: $5,000 in one-time incentives for all current bus drivers and attendants, $1,500 signing bonus and up to a total of $2,500 in monthly incentive payments for all newly hired bus drivers and attendants,$3,000 in a three-month period to help bus contractors with driver shortages recruit and hire new staff to activate the remaining 95 routes, plus A 10 percent payment to bus contractors for each incentive bonus paid to bus drivers and attendants for overhead costs. The initial $2,500 incentive bonuses for current bus drivers and attendants will be disbursed to all bus contractors within 10 days of execution of the amended contracts and the remaining $2,500 will be paid monthly through the end of the school year. The Howard County Public School System contracts its bus services to several local vendors, who will distribute the bonuses to their employees and will be required to provide verification to HCPSS that bus drivers and attendants received their payments timely.