As school districts across the country continue to grapple with a nationwide shortage of school bus drivers, Burlington, Vermont, is stepping up its efforts to ensure students get to and from school safely and on time, reported NBC 5.

According to the news report, Burlington School District announced a series of new initiatives aimed at recruiting and retaining bus drivers, including paid CDL training, increased wages and expanded benefits. The district has lost three drivers over the past year and, like many others nationwide, has struggled to fill the vacancies.

“We know that one of the biggest barriers to becoming a bus driver is the cost of getting a commercial driver’s license (CDL),” said Michelle Meola, director of human resources for the district. “That process can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars, and that’s a significant burden for many people.”

Starting wages have jumped from just under $18 an hour to $30 an hour, following recent union negotiations aimed at making the job more competitive in today’s labor market.

“In order to give a significant increase, we had to go through negotiations because we are under a union contract,” Meola explained . “But even before those talks began, we came to the table ready to invest in this position.”

Beyond better pay and training, the district is also reportedly working to make the role more sustainable by creating additional job opportunities for drivers within the school system. These could include roles in property services or other support functions, allowing drivers to become full-time employees and qualify for full-time benefits.

“We’re excited about this direction,” Meola told local news reporters. “It allows us to impact people’s lives by offering more stability, and it helps our district run more smoothly by keeping experienced, dedicated staff on board.”

Currently, the Burlington School District is looking to hire at least four new drivers. Officials are reportedly encouraging anyone interested to apply through the district’s website.

“This is more than just a job,” Meola added. “It’s an opportunity to be part of the community and make a real difference in the lives of students and families every day.”

Related: Dauphin County School District Considers Paying Parents Amid Bus Driver Shortage
Related: Arizona School District Increases Bus Driver Pay to Help with Shortage
Related: Turning School Bus Driver Shortages Into Opportunities
Related: School Bus Driver Shortage Impacts Florida Districts

The post Vermont School District Boosts Pay, Offers Training to Attract Bus Drivers appeared first on School Transportation News.

Rock Hill School District in South Carolina has added 41 new school buses and has a fully staffed transportation department for the first time in years, a move district officials say is improving readiness and morale as the new school year begins, reported WCNC News.

A total of 111 school buses will now cover 719 routes daily, with drivers logging approximately 12,000 miles each day. Officials say increased staffing and expanded fleet capacity are expected to ease delays and improve transportation reliability.

“We had to start early, and we had to ask our district to make sure pay was involved,” said Transportation Director Sherrie Owens via the article. “We had to increase the initial entry rate and then put out on social media, all the internet we can use, to make sure everyone [would] come and show up.”

Rock Hill Schools reportedly held its first-ever Transportation Open House last month, where families met drivers and received route information. A district-wide pep rally followed on Friday.

District leaders’ credit targeted recruitment efforts, including a pay raise, with helping to resolve long-standing staffing challenges ahead of the 2025–2026 academic year.

Related: Strategies for Attracting and Retaining Staff
Related: Superintendent Snapshot: Fully Staffed Arkansas District Focus’ on Employees
Related: Arizona School District Increases Bus Driver Pay to Help with Shortage
Related: Hawaii Restores Nearly All School Bus Routes Cut By Driver Shortage

The post Rock Hill Schools Roll into New School Year Fully Staffed appeared first on School Transportation News.

The Milwaukee County Courthouse (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner)

Wisconsin Republicans are proposing a bill to stop paying judges who have been suspended in response to the arrest and suspension of Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan. 

Dugan was indicted in May by a federal grand jury and has pleaded not guilty to charges that she impeded the arrest by federal agents of an immigrant who was appearing in her court room.  She was arrested by FBI agents in April.

Critics have condemned the arrest as an example of the Trump administration discouraging pushback to mass deportation efforts and a worrying sign for democracy. Federal and state Republicans have supported the arrest of Dugan, saying those who stand in the way of deportations should be arrested and that Dugan should resign or be removed.

The bill, cosponsored by Sen. Cory Tomczyk (R-Mosinee), Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August (R-Walworth) and Rep. Shae Sortwell (R-Two Rivers), would require that if the state Supreme Court imposes a suspension as proceedings are pending or as a disciplinary sanction due to misconduct, it must be without pay. 

The Wisconsin Supreme Court chose to suspend Dugan in April, saying it was in the public interest to relieve her of her duties for now. Dugan is still being paid her nearly $175,000 annual salary.

The lawmakers noted that Dugan’s trial was postponed from July 21 and may not take place until 2026. They said taxpayers will be paying for “an extended vacation” even as reserve judges have to fill in for her and they argued the bill is needed to stop suspended judges from getting paid in the future.

According to the Wisconsin Judicial Commission, 15 judges have been suspended by the Supreme Court from 1978 to 2024.

“In these rare circumstances, these judges’ actions and alleged misconduct rose to such a level that suspension was warranted,” the lawmakers said in a memo.  “Simply put, Wisconsin taxpayers must be protected from the misconduct and/or commission of a crime by rogue judges.”