Escambia School District Bus Drivers, Other Support Personnel To Receive Raises

September 1, 2021

The Escambia County School District has reached a pay raise agreement for all educational support personnel (ESP), including bus drivers.

With the proposed agreement with the Escambia Educational Staff Professionals union, bus drivers will receive at least a 4% pay hike. A new, incoming bus driver will now earn $14.72 per hour, with training opportunities to receive a 50 cent increase.

The agreement, according to the district, will meet the school board’s goal to pay over $15 an hour to bus drivers

“We are excited about the pay increase for bus drivers and the potential to have an hourly wage over $15 an hour,” Superintendent Tim Smith said. “This increase will better compensate our bus drivers and help to recruit new drivers. We are also excited to be able to provide all other support personnel the equivalent of a 4% raise.”

For all other support personnel, an agreement was reached to increase the entire salary schedule by 2%, and give current employees a step-raise that is approximately an additional 2% for an overall raise of 4%. Furthermore, an additional Step has been created to allow for the promotion of our most veteran employees. A new employee on Pay Grade 9 will now immediately begin at Step 2, with a starting hourly wage of $10.17.

All impacted employees will have the chance to vote on the proposal. If ratified, the school board will then vote on the new agreement. If passed, the new salaries will soon go into effect retroactive to July 1, 2021.

Comments

15 Responses to “Escambia School District Bus Drivers, Other Support Personnel To Receive Raises”

  1. Not4me? on November 30th, 2021 5:26 pm

    Depends on Route you drive your hours vary..specially this year. Times all different. It’s not for everyone. Have to have a heart. If you think your gonna do this and them kids better do this. . maybe delivering mail be better for you….

  2. Wheels down on September 11th, 2021 8:21 am

    Do the math before you get excited over 2 percent. Hello..out there. Times ten months. Remember. We need something in the summer to make us want to come back. Y’all don’t know how to bargain when your stuck in a tunnel.Vision. Best time to ask for summer money..is now. I can do two step down at the bar…show me the money!

  3. Wheelsdown on September 11th, 2021 8:12 am

    Okie Dokie..here we go.All routes are diffrent.All of us are doing extra pulls helping others and delivering others kids.For extra 5 or 10 minutes a day? Why waiting to get that little raise. Just don’t feel like people respect us at raise time. If carrying kids around coughing puking not wearing mask fighting yelling. And dealing with parents ‘Oh not my kid’s. ont deserve hazard pay? Then we’re being run to death.

  4. David Huie Green on September 5th, 2021 5:09 pm

    REGARDING:
    “Everyone deserves to earn a living wage”

    Nah, not if they won’t work. Besides some single people can live on far less than a person who has five dependents. If they both do the same job should one be paid more than the other? Why or why not?

    Regardless, the school system will train you for free and a job is nearly guaranteed if you can pass the tests. And your life will never be boring again!!

    David for good drivers

  5. River Rat on September 3rd, 2021 7:58 am

    Well, 29 years and I make $20.00 per hour. Now a starting out bus driver will make $5.00 less than me a 29 year employee. That is SAD! WelI and by the way, I started out driving a bus at $6.47 per hour. I no longer drive a bus but I am still here!

  6. Minimum wage on September 3rd, 2021 5:05 am

    Minimum wage goes up to $10 an hour September 30, 2021

  7. Jeannie Bodie on September 3rd, 2021 4:35 am

    They were going to get a wage hike in thirty days anyway. And it is nice to get a 2%step and a 2% raise. What happened to the automatic step.?? I drove behind a bus today for 20 minutes. They need to pay them more for the middle schools, and elementary kids. Woo not for me.. now imagine retiring on half of that. One woman said she has 18 years and she us finally gonna make just about $17. Wow..

  8. Puddin on September 2nd, 2021 7:28 pm

    Kelly, my run begins at 445 and runs to 900. Then 1245 to 530. Over 240 miles a day. But most are much shorter.
    Our new Director, Mrs Hart is awesome. She’s working hard to make this a good place to work.

    As for the pay, I’ve been here 18 years this October. I just got to $15.45 per hour. With the new raise it will bump me to about $17.00.

    I sure hope you will try us out. I love my job. We need Drivers and Aides at the North end of the county.

  9. Hannah on September 2nd, 2021 5:38 pm

    Kelly, for most routes we start 5:30-6am through 930am then off until 1-130 through 5

  10. Earlyere Woods on September 2nd, 2021 7:27 am

    Western Florida wages in general are insulting. Personally I got an Associates degree in health sciences. I got certified, registered and licensed to practice in this state. The first job offer was $10 an hour. If this is how skilled people are valued then it is no wonder that no one wants to work here. There’s an old saying, “you get what you pay for”. Who is going to value a job that doesn’t value them?

  11. Nick West on September 1st, 2021 6:02 pm

    Minimum wage is 10$ an hour in 30 days, all they did was bring the support personnel to slightly above minimum this month.

  12. Cindy lou2 on September 1st, 2021 4:26 pm

    Everyone deserves to earn a living wage.

    All honest jobs are important and respectable

  13. mtndewey on September 1st, 2021 2:33 pm

    meanwhile, firefighters still making under $11 an hour.

  14. Kelly on September 1st, 2021 10:17 am

    What are the hours of being a bus driver?

  15. Kenneth r mendez on September 1st, 2021 6:07 am

    I drive for work my self and see other places around Florida looking for school bus drivers 18.25$ a hour and cant get people