The school board is asking for a $1 per hour pay increase for bus drivers. This would come at a cost of $843,000. Supervisor Vice chairman Steve Elswick says that Chesterfield used to be the leader in the region when it came to bus driver pay, but that changed
“Then everybody else said ‘well, wait a minute-we’re going to go higher.’ So Henrico, Prince George and everybody else jumped over, so we’re chasing each other.”
He says Chesterfield is now the lowest county in terms of bus driver pay. Elswick added that he doesn’t have the answer as to when pay raise chases will stop but that he does support the increase.
Superintendent Daugherty says that the county is not trying to be the ‘Top Dog’ in terms of pay in the region but just wants to to be in the same ballpark.
Daugherty says at the start of the school year, the division was short 47 bus drivers. Now it’s down to 38. The County has been holding regular outreach recruitment events in order to fill the void.
There will be a public hearing on the budget on March 27th. The Board is expected to vote on the budget on April 10th.
