Wake county school bus drivers to get pay raise

WAKE COUNTY, North Carolina (WTVD) -- The Wake County Board of Education has approved pay raises for bus drivers at its meeting Tuesday.

Now, starting salaries will be bumped up to $13.11 an hour from $12.55 an hour.

The School board says it also plans to reduce the amount of time to it takes a bus driver to reach the $15.00 per hour threshold from 13 years to seven years.

In July, ABC11 reported that the Wake County School District was dealing with a bus driver shortage and facing potential delays at the start of the school year.

READ MORE: Wake County bracing for possible school bus stop delays as driver search continues

WCPSS Senior Director for Transportation, Bob Snidemiller, hopes this change will turn things around. "I appreciate the dedication and commitment of Wake County bus drivers." said Snidemiller, "This increase in pay is important as we work to retain these critical employees and recruit additional staff."

Anyone interested in working for WCPSS can visit its website for more information.