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Guilford County Schools Approves Bus Driver Bonuses

Members on the Guilford County Schools Board of Education approved a $2 million package to retain current drivers

GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Guilford County bus drivers will soon see some extra cash in their paychecks thanks to an approved plan by the Board of Education. 

An incentive package of $2 million was approved at Thursday's meeting for current drivers in the district. 

Guilford County officials say the district still has 50 vacancies, which is 10 more open positions than the district had at the start of the 2019-2020 school year. 

Some drivers run additional or longer routes to make sure all 35,000 students make it to and from school safely. Due to the shortage, and extended routes, some students are frequently late to class. 

The bonus is a one-time bonus, and won't be a steady pay raise. 

"Our bus drivers work extremely hard under often challenging circumstances, and they are among our lowest paid employees," says Superintendent Sharon L Contreras, PhD. "We have to find ways to show them how valuable they are to the district and encourage them to remain employed while we work on finding ways to increase their salaries."

Guilford County Schools are still considering ways to hire new drivers. At the beginning of the year, the district announced a bonus offer for teachers who stepped up to run bus routes.

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