Elmore County Schools Looking for Substitute Bus Drivers

Elmore County school bus – Alabama News Network

The Elmore County school system is starting the school year in need of substitute bus drivers. It’s a problem they say is common throughout the state.

Elmore County Schools transportation supervisor Ray Mullino says the system uses about 13 substitute drivers a day, which involves about 10% of their fleet.

The process to become a substitute school bus driver includes getting a commercial driver’s license and to get state certified. Then you would go to the Elmore County Schools central office to fill out an application. A background check and drug screening will be conducted.

Mullino says substitute drivers can work their way into becoming full-time.

“A lot of our subs are the ones that we hire for the full-time routes because it lets me know that you can handle the kids and handle the bus and handle the situation. So if you ever want to go full-time in Elmore County, you need to be a sub driver first to kind of get your feet wet, and then that position can happen for you,” he told Alabama News Network.

The school system has 130 routes that run every day. Fourteen of those involve special needs students.

Each route is about 90 minutes. Part of a substitute driver’s pay is determined by the number of students a driver transports.

In 2019 before the pandemic hit, the school system transported 6,942 children a day.

Mullino says school buses are sprayed with a sanitizer twice a day. Each bus has a supply of hand sanitizers and masks to protect students against the spread of COVID-19.