ods active and maintain good connections by sharing ideas with other districts around the state. Also helpful is keeping driver wages com- petitive, offering incentives and benefits, and addressing morale in the workplace. “I’ve been in this business since 1985, and have seen the ups and downs,” he added. “Not that we wish it, but when the economy turns for the worse, we’ll have a better chance of getting drivers. That’s just the way it is.” As far as coping with long-term growth, Becker
said Frisco ISD will rely on “good routing soft- ware, a good group of routers,” and collaboration with city staff and other stakeholders.
Training, Retention & Job Fairs The Elk Grove Unified School District near Sacramento, California, experienced tremendous growth in the 1990s and is again coping with a spurt after some lull years. A 2015 master plan estimated the then-62,000 stu- dent district could add nearly 14,000 more students over 10 years, and this estimate appears well on its way to reali- ty. Enrollment has already swelled by 7,000 children. That plan projected
staffed, just like every other district in the nation.” Driver training and retention, more versatile
When the economy turns for the worse, we’ll have a better chance of getting drivers. That’s just
the way it is.” —Doug Becker, Frisco ISD in Texas
that the 320-square- mile district would need to add one high school, a middle school and 10 elementary schools to keep pace. “We’re spread out, and that creates a lot of
additional challenges. We also have a growing population of children with special needs,” said Michael “Matt” Sanchez, who started his career as a bus driver for the district in 1989. He returned as transportation director last July, after a 17-year run in state government and at several other districts. “The growth in special education programs
caused us to open 10 additional classrooms this (school) year and add seven routes,” he added. “With the shortage of drivers, we’re still trying to get caught up with our current needs. We’re under-
34 School Transportation News • APRIL 2019
vehicles and new technology—in that order—top Sanchez’s priority list, as his department adjusts to growing capacity demands. “It comes down to a really solid recruitment and training program,” Sanchez said. “We provide paid training, which is not something all districts do. That provides challenges, too, because they have to pass all of our pre-employment require- ments before they start training.” While California law requires a minimum of 40 hours of entry-level driver training, 20 in the classroom and 20 behind the wheel, the Elk Grove district prepares its drivers with a total of 110 hours of training. “Once we meet the state standards, we cover all of our district procedures. We have the Cadet Riding and Cadet Driving programs. Each is 20 hours, and the goal is to help establish compe- tence and confidence,” he continued. He reported that, “The new licensed school bus driver rides along with a seasoned driver, to see how the driver handles the route, interacts with kids and operates the vehicle. Then for the driving program, the trainee drives the route, while the seasoned driver sits with them.” To attract drivers, the Elk Grove staff has worked with the district’s commu-
nications department to publicize openings, and teamed with nearby districts to attend and organize job fairs. But, Sanchez said, one of the best recruitment tools is the district’s own messenger system. “It goes just to our parents,” Sanchez said, “so
we’re not competing with other districts for those potential drivers. They have a vested interest, because it’s their children.” He noted that the strategy recently resulted in 750 calls that netted 24 new certified drivers. Sanchez is also adjusting to a growing demand
for bus attendants to assist the school bus driver on the bus routes. “Usually, bus attendants are added to a route only to support one student
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