Lexington, SC 08/30/2021 (Paul Kirby) – Lexington County School District One, like most of the school districts across Lexington County and the State of South Carolina, is struggling to keep enough substitute teachers and school bus drivers to maintain uninterrupted operations during the current surge of Delta Variant COVID-19 cases inundating the country. According to Lexington District One, as of today, August 30, 2021, their bus driver’s ranks were down by 50% due to a number of exclusionary factors. The same situation is also occurring with substitute teachers.
Factors that may exclude employees from working are many. The employee may have tested positive or be showing the signs and symptoms of the COVID virus themselves. They may also have come into close contact with a COVID positive person and need to quarantine. Likewise, bus drivers and substitutes like most Americans, have children, spouses, parents, and other loved ones that may be sick or infected. If the district’s employee is that sick loved one’s primary caregiver, they would also be excluded from working to be home in their caregiver role. Outside of the realm of COVID are normal life occurrences such as a death in the family, other illnesses and injuries like the flu, and unavoidable life events like the birth of a child.
Bus drivers are required to possess a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to operate a school bus. These are often the same types of licenses that are needed to operate large trucks like tractor trailers or other delivery and logistics equipment. Even though school districts have raised the pay for bus driver over the past few years, it is still hard to compete with the driver’s pay being offered by logistics companies that are working overtime to keep America moving. Many of these type businesses are paying starting bonuses and salaries that far eclipse the pay and benefits of the school districts.
Even with all those challenges facing the school systems, the bus driver and substitute teacher positions are steady, solid jobs for people inclined to work in those fields. In both cases, the pay ranges and benefits are competitive, and you can often work full or part-time depending on your available time or desires.
In Lexington School District One, bus drivers can earn between $15.75 an hour and $31.46 and hour depending on experience, availability, and other factors. The also receive health insurance and paid leave and holidays. The school district provides pay while you train and helps you obtain your CDL license.
Substitute teachers can create their own schedules by picking the days they’d like to work and can select from a number of locations district wide so that your commute is convenient. The hours are also family friendly so that if you have school age children, when they’re off, you can be off. You can also be eligible for the SC State Employees Retirement System and pay rates have recently increased.
If either of these positions interest you, the district is open to answering more questions for you. Potential substitute teachers should contact the district’s Human Resources Department at (803) 821-1061. People who are interested in driving a bus can simply apply online at http://bit.ly/Lex1busdrivers.
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