School bus drivers still hard to find

School bus drivers are hard to find.

The problem in the Grand Coulee Dam School District is a carryover from last year when officials had stated that they were three drivers short.

It is the same problem this year.

Stephanie Duclos, manager of the school district’s bus operation, is a qualified trainer and had nine prospective drivers in a training program, she said. All but two have dropped out, and that pair won’t be done with their training until about the end of November.

Superintendent Paul Turner reported to the school board a week ago that the district was having a problem getting candidates who were able to pass the CDL (Commercial Drivers License) test.

“This is really putting a strain on the transportation department,” Turner stated.

Duclos and bus mechanic Levi Seylor are both driving morning and evening shifts.

Meanwhile, the district continues to seek candidates for training.

“If anyone over 21 is interested in becoming a school bus driver, I would encourage them to come by the bus garage and see me,” Duclos stated.

It takes about two to three months to get prospective drivers through the training process. Duclos said the training consists of 20 hours of classroom work and 20 hours of driving (without kids aboard).

Beginning wages for bus drivers is $19.34 an hour. Drivers work split shifts, two hours in the mornings when students come to school and two hours in the afternoon when students return home.

“Our drivers are the first school officials that students see in the morning and the last they see at night,” Duclos stated.

Duclos completed her instructor training last summer.