LARGO, Fla. — Pinellas County Schools spent the summer recruiting bus drivers, and they provided some new incentives to help with the shortages.

What You Need To Know

  •  Pinellas County Schools increased bus driver starting pay to $19.79 per hour

  •  District is also offering $1,000 signing bonus to new drivers

  •  Starting school year with around 30 bus driver vacancies

The district offers a $1,000 signing bonus and increased starting pay to $19.79 per hour. Transportation officials say they’re down to only about 30 bus driver vacancies, and the incentives seem to be working.

“Our bus drivers are professional drivers, they hold a commercial license just like people who drive and deliver our goods every day across the country, so we are a vital part of the transportation industry,” said Kevin Cobb, a bus driver trainer.

And some of the new bus drivers shared what they did over the summer.

“I’m a new driver. I was able to train over the summer,” said Janine Gauvin as she walked towards her new ride — a big, bright yellow Pinellas County school bus.

Gauvin is a new driver, hired over the summer. She’s getting in some extra driving practice before school starts. She says she feels at home in the driver’s seat. Before accepting this job, she drove children to an after-school program.

“I love driving, the driving part is fun, driving something this big, people sometimes get very intimidated by the large vehicle but when you do it, it doesn’t feel like you’re driving a 40-foot bus,” she said.

Before students hop on board, she was required to complete the district’s bus driver training program. Gauvin says she’d already made the decision to become a driver when the new incentives were offered, so they were an added bonus.

Now, she’s looking forward to meeting her students. 

“I love having the joy that I have within my own self but I really don’t have people to share it with so I’m really happy to be putting it out there and sharing with the children because it’s needed.” 

Janine says through the process of becoming a school bus driver, she’s grown a lot—professionally, and personally, and she can’t wait to be a part of her students back to school experience.  

Pinellas Transportation Officials warn — buses are back out on the roads.  They started doing practice runs this week, with school starting on Thursday.  They say to have some patience with them as drivers adjust to routes, and of course, be extra cautious when driving as kids head back to school.  

Pinellas isn't the only Bay area county facing a shortage of bus drivers. Here's a look at the number of spots some of the other counties are looking to fill, reaching as high as 203 in Hillsborough County.