Valley Lines bus driver proposes incentive to Seneca Valley school board
JACKSON TWP — Student safety and driver retention are some considerations a Valley Lines bus driver is taking with his proposal for higher compensation.
The Rev. James Bills, who has been a bus driver for the past six years, addressed board directors of Seneca Valley School District with a proposal for a driver incentive and retirement program at a school board meeting, Monday, Oct. 7.
According to Bills, the proposal was developed after discussions with other drivers who have similarly experienced “the impact of driver shortages.”
“Times have changed when it comes to who is behind the wheel of our school buses,” Bills told school board members. “In the past, many bus drivers were men and women who were retired or simply looking to supplement their income. Today, the reality is different.”
“Many of us who drive are men and women who rely on this job as a primary source of income,” he continued. “We have single parents who take on this role because it allows them to earn a living while still being present for their families. Driving a bus is no longer just an extra job. It’s a critical means of livelihood for many of us, and this proposal seeks to address the evolving needs of today's drivers.”
Bills’ proposal includes an increase to drivers’ daily rates from $104 to $138 for 180 days of service. His proposal would have the school district reimburse Valley Lines and ABC Transit for the $34 difference per day, “ensuring that the bus companies are not burdened with the entire cost.”
The proposal also includes funding attendance bonuses, health insurance stipends, tuition reimbursement and recruitment efforts.
According to the proposal, the investment would be paid off through improved employee retention, reduced recruitment costs and enhanced transportation safety and reliability.
“We also need to consider the future,” he said. “The demand for bus drivers will only grow if we continue on the current path. We risk facing even greater shortages, leading to more disruptions.”
“Bus drivers often set the tone for a child's school day,” he said. “A positive, friendly driver can make a child's day brighter, while a stressed or rushed driver cannot.”
Bills wrote that during the 2023-24 school year, drivers of large buses earned a base pay of $102.26 per day, with an additional $22.74 per day provided by the school district as an incentive. To be eligible for the additional pay, drivers must fulfill their weekly schedule. Bills said the incentive expired at the end of the school year.
He shared that Valley Lines raised daily rates for drivers for the 2024-25 school year to $104.30 per day and introduced their own potential bonus program that similarly allowed drivers to earn an additional $22.74 per day when completing weekly schedule without absences.
“We genuinely appreciate the company’s effort to support us, especially as they introduced this potential bonus at the start of the school year,” he wrote. “The challenge, however, is that we do not have a guarantee that this will be sustainable in the long term, and it does not function as an incentive for new hires.”
“We recognize that all drivers — whether they operate large buses, minibuses, or vans — play essential roles in the safe transportation of our students,” he wrote. “This proposal seeks to establish a more stable and competitive compensation structure that is fair and reflects the responsibilities and commitment required for each role.”
“Our goal is to create fair and consistent compensation across the district for all drivers, regardless of the vehicle they operate.”
