Portland Public Schools seeking bus drivers

Despite intensive efforts to recruit and hire new bus drivers, the Portland Public Schools is currently in desperate need of drivers.

In a recent email to parents in the district, Superintendent Will Heath said, "This shortage with bus drivers is not solely a Portland issue. Numerous school districts across the State are also critically short on bus drivers. We have experienced this shortage over the last few years and it continues to get worse. Unfortunately, there are not enough bus drivers for the demand in the State. We are eager to bring in new drivers and will work with them to meet their needs. The district needs, at a minimum, 15 bus drivers every day to complete our routes. We are currently down 4 drivers. We have worked with our drivers over the past few years to offer a competitive salary and have implemented a Transportation Incentive Program, which includes a signing bonus of up to $3,000 and a retention bonus of up to $2,000."

Heath added, "If you, or anyone you know, may be interested in driving part time or full time please have them contact our HR Specialist Diana Graef at dgraef@portlandk12.org or call our office at (517) 647-4161. We have hosted a job fair, purchased billboards, and created a recruitment video. Feel free to share our video to anyone that might be interested."