Brevard County to increase pay for school bus drivers amid shortage

Brevard County school bus driver pay raise

There are dozens of bus driver openings in Brevard County and now the district wants to bump up pay in order to recruit new employees and retain the ones they have.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - School bus drivers in Brevard County are set to get a pay increase following a school board vote next week amid a driver shortage in the district.

The starting pay of $15 an hour will be increased to $20 an hour, according to a news release from Brevard Public Schools. Regardless of a driver's current hourly rate, they'll see a pay increase of $5.

"The bus driver is the first person many of our students see when they start their school day," Superintendent Dr. Mark Rendell said in a news release. "This pay increase is a statement that we value these team members and the critical work that they do."

The rate of $20 an hour is on pace for the national average for bus drivers at elementary and secondary schools, where the average hourly rate is $20.39, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There are 90 driver positions open with Brevard Public Schools and officials hope this increase will "help the district recruit and retain drivers," the press release states.

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The school board is scheduled to vote on the pay increase on June 27.