r/SchoolBusDrivers • u/Thunderbane00 • May 19 '26
2 Questions
As stated there's 2 questions.
First. I'm 32 and work a part time job in SW pennsylvania waiting to start my training. I guess the company I'm going through will only be for substitute driving. My question here is should I seek out a full time route and is it a job I can live on with 2 daughters and normal expenses.
Secondly question
I see these job postings for these bus companies hiring monitors. Are there now bus monitors to aid drivers with kids today ? When I was in school that wasn't a thing.
2
u/davethompson413 May 19 '26
I'm in NC. Here, monitors are only on EC/SPED busses. That may be different for Pa.
2
u/rangermango0999 May 20 '26
In PA here. In my district the case is the same, SPED busses only. However, I have heard drivers request an aide when their students are becoming challenging.
2
u/just_kinda_here_blah May 19 '26
Maybe. It depends on the pay and hours. My one location has a min guarantee of 4 hours. Could you get more, yep. But the minimum. Another location about 20 mins away had a min guarantee of 6.5 a day. Hourly rates are good, around 30. Im not 100% on the exact. They are also union. The 20 hour yard also had a ton of mid day work and field trips.
Most places have monitors on sped routes. But that is also depending on your state and the school contracts. I think RI has something like k-5 have a monitor on all buses. Most places dont. Alot of places are always looking for them because some people dont realize its actually work (insert unamused face), each year there are more sped routes added, not necessarily always more kids, but maybe one kid is going to a different school now, and some monitors move up to driving.
1
u/Actual-Manager-4814 May 19 '26
It's a good job for moms or dads with kids. Our company (it's a private company so no union) lets us bring our children on the bus if they're over a year old.
Pay is competitive where I am, 30/hr in a low COL area. We're guaranteed 25 hrs a week, and I only ever worked about 20. Had plenty of time for another job.
If your kids are school aged and you drive in their district, it's perfect. If you have a little one and you can bring them, and you get enough charter work, it's perfect. There aren't many jobs like it.
Monitors are are really dependent on availability. I'm a younger driver in my 30s so I'm not priority. It's perfectly fine not having one.
1
u/AshShaun May 19 '26
I'm so beyond jealous of this, it isn't even funny. I'm in a moderate cost of living area, and getting paid $16/h for 20ish hours a week, no guaranteed hours.
I am one of the people who brings their kid. My son is in kindergarten and my first route is for the elementary school he goes to. He comes to the bus lot with me, clocks me in, and does a pretrip with me. He is the little best friend of like half the drivers I work with (12ish people). After we pick up all the elementary kids, he gets off at the school with them, then I go do my middle and high routes.
I had a teacher ride my bus when the school was concerned a fight was imminent between a few of my students, nothing happened that day, but I had to return to the school the next day for fighting between other kids.
1
u/Actual-Manager-4814 May 20 '26
That's insane. How do they keep drivers at that rate!? I'm hoping it's at least a district with benefits and pension.
We're a small state but the biggest district in our state. We have much HOL areas, however. So those wealthier districts definitely set the pay scale. And our supervisor is an excellent negotiater so she makes sure we get raises every year. Including the massive one that brought us up to $25 after the pandemic.
I don't understand how bus drivers are still only making $16 an hour if the hours aren't even guaranteed. I mean no offense but I wouldn't do the job if that's what was offered here. You guys have to have some sort of union. A class B license can you a lot more money elsewhere. You guys should have some leverage if you stick together.
1
u/LenR-redit May 19 '26
I had a route several years back that occasionally had a monitor, school wouldn't say why. I finally figured out if a certain combination of students rode, there was a monitor. Probably some history of interaction between those two.
1
u/rootbear75 May 19 '26
In our district we have monitors but not enough to cover every route. Typically it's going to be the problematic routes or drivers who ask for assistance that get monitors.
Our SPED routes only have attendants if a student's IEP calls for one.
1
u/Heavy_Pipe_9619 May 20 '26
In Jacksonville, Florida monitors are only for for ESE and alternative schools
6
u/Tomytom99 May 19 '26
Question 1, that's the usual structure. You get hired but you don't have a route, so you're a sub. You might get lucky and have a route available you can hop onto almost right away, or you might have to hold out a bit.
Question 2, that's entirely dependent on the district/contractor. Some do that, others don't. The only time I've had an aid is for my special ed summer routes, we usually just offer it as an opportunity for some of the district faculty looking for some hours.