Just over half of the $1.3 million will be used to improve the county’s school bus program. $400 thousand dollars will go towards upgrading the radio system used by PCS bus drivers, and an additional $331 thousand dollars will be used to increase pay for bus drivers and monitors.
The move follows superintendent Dr. Brad Breedlove’s presentation on Pender County’s bus driver program during the school board’s January 14th meeting. Breedlove said he had made an improvement plan based on complaints and suggestions from bus drivers throughout the county.
“We need to listen to our bus drivers, because they're at the grassroots level,” he said on Monday night’s meeting. “They're the ones driving and having a process that they can give feedback [on] to make sure that we are running more efficiently.”
According to Breedlove, the funding would allow for a $1.49 increase in starting hourly pay for the 100 bus drivers in Pender County, or $270,000 overall. $61,000 would be used to increase pay for the county’s 15 bus monitors.
“What this does for our school system is it makes us competitive,” Breedlove said during the meeting. “Here in Pender, we are the lowest [pay] in our surrounding districts, and that's who we compete with each and every day for bus drivers.”
The pay increase will be implemented immediately, and every bus driver and bus monitor will see a wage increase.
The remaining $600 thousand dollars will be used to upgrade two thousand Chromebooks for PCS students.
The commissioners voted 3 to 1 to pass the measure. Jerry Groves, Brad George and Randy Burton voted in favor of the funding, while Brent Springer voted against. Vice-chair Ken Smith, who is a teacher with Pender County Schools, abstained.
