Facing bus driver shortage, Upper Darby School District searching for more

UPPER DARBY TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Like many school districts these days, the Upper Darby School District is facing a bus driver shortage - and is looking for dozens of drivers to apply.

"I tell a lot of people, 'I chose this job, this job didn't choose me,'" said Jeannette Tierney, bus driver recruiter and lead trainer for the Upper Darby School District.

Tierney knows her stuff when it comes to driving school buses.

"Twenty-one years total and it's one of the greatest jobs I've ever had. Wouldn't trade it for the world," Tierney said.

Tierney said she's calling applicants every day, and is working to recruit more drivers to join the team.

The shortage they're facing is being felt across the country and here in the Delaware Valley.

For bus driver Terry Johnson, it's the ideal job.

"This is the most fulfilling part-time, full-time job that it is. A lot of flexibility," Johnson said.

They pay new employees to train for their CDL, which they said could take more than a month to complete depending on the person.

"We start at $18/hr. Once you get your license, you move to $19 for 90 calendar days, and then you'll go to $21, second anniversary $22, third anniversary $23," Tierney said.

Tierney said money is important, but they care most about the safety of the 7,000 kids they transport every day.

"At the end of the day when I go home and I put my head on the pillow, I know that I got those kids home safely and when they're on the bus, they are my kids," Tierney said.

They're also looking for bus attendants; the salary for that position runs roughly $12.35/hr.

Correction: The original report stated the district needed 40 drivers. This article has been corrected.