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Looking for a job? Here's one with 'flex hours' and a 'flashy company car'

Flex hours. A flashy company car. The benefits of this job with Wake County Public School System sound pretty sweet ... until you read the smaller print on signs, which are posted at schools across the county.

Posted Updated
School bus
By
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall
, Go Ask Mom editor

Flex hours. A flashy company car. The benefits of this job with Wake County Public School System sound pretty sweet ... until you read the smaller print on signs, which are posted at schools across the county.

"Bus Drivers Wanted," they say.

Wake County Public School System is looking for bus drivers.

The signs are part of a marketing campaign that's aimed at finding more bus drivers for the growing public school system. "There is always a need," Sara Clark, senior communications administrator, tells me. 

With about 160,400 students, Wake schools is the largest school system in the state and the 15th largest in the nation. In fact, the student population has tripled since 1980, according to the system's website. It will grow by more than 9,000 students by 2020.

Right now, the school system is looking for drivers to satisfy current needs and to pick up new routes to service the growing number of students and new schools that will open in the fall. Four new schools will open for the 2018-19 school year - South Garner High School (for ninth and 10th graders), Apex Friendship Middle School, Bryan Road Elementary School in Garner and Buckhorn Creek Elementary School in Holly Springs.

Clark said officials won't know exactly how many new bus drivers they'll need until the summer, but it could be as many as 100. Right now, the school system has 736 filled bus driver positions with an additional 63 substitute drivers. They run about 750 regular bus routes each morning and afternoon.

Intrigued? Here's the fine print on this job opportunity ...

Hourly wage

The beginning wage is $13.11, which was increased from $12.55 in September. Also in September, the school board reduced the time it takes a bus driver to reach a wage of $15 per hour from 13 years to 7 years. Bus drivers can earn as much as $21.75 per hour.

Hours

Hours vary, but they typically are from 5:30 a.m. or 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. There also are opportunities to shuttle students to field trips, for instance, during the day and for night school runs in the evening.

Requirements

You'll need a North Carolina Commercial Drivers License to navigate a school bus. Prospective bus drivers must complete a three-day North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles commercial drivers class and pass a written test and behind-the-wheel testing on a school bus. A permit costs $68. A three-year license is $84.

Wake schools and the DMV provide the classroom instruction and testing at no charge, according to the school system. Each potential driver is responsible for paying for their own license. Wake schools provides applicants the up front fee if the applicant requests it.  The employee will reimburse the school system from their first paycheck.

Still interested? Wake schools' website has more information.

Personally, I'm so thankful for bus drivers like this gentleman, who is featured in a Wake schools' video that shares a day in the life of a bus driver. Thank you, sir!

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