The third week of October is observed as National School Bus Safety Week, and BKW’s transportation department has a proud record of safely and efficiently transporting hundreds of students over more than 125 square miles to and from school and beyond. The department also offers excellent employment opportunities.
Are you looking for a great job with a flexible schedule, and a rewarding way to earn money? BKW needs regular and substitute school bus drivers. Starting pay is $19.51 per hour for an out-of-district run and $29.64 per hour for an in-district run. BKW also offers a flexible work schedule and opportunities to work part-time – great options for retirees, college students and parents.
BKW also offers:
- Training for CDL license with endorsements
- Eligibility for health insurance
- Holidays, school recesses, summer and snow days off
- Rewarding work with BKW’s children and young adults
The district owns and maintains a fleet of 40 buses, and BKW’s highly-trained and dedicated employees safely and efficiently transport more than 700 students over 126 square miles daily. They drive students to and from the elementary and secondary schools, private and parochial schools, and off-campus events.
School bus drivers receive approximately 75 hours of classroom and behind-the-wheel training, over a one to three-month period.
A benefit of being a school bus driver is the flexibility of the daily work schedule. A BKW bus driver for many years, said “one of the biggest benefits for me, as a mom, is that I get all the school holidays, vacations, snow days and summers off. I didn’t have to find alternate daycare.” BKW employees work flexible schedules, from as little as four hours per day to as many eight hours per day for a veteran driver.
Employees who attain 20 or more hours of permanent work per week become eligible to receive health benefits. Another driver noted that his other job doesn’t provide health insurance. “I paid out-of-pocket health care coverage for two years and it was very expensive.” After approximately two months of training, he became a permanent driver. “This is a part-time job that offers full benefits, and it works perfectly into my schedule. The trainers are very thorough. They certainly prepare you for your state test and well above.”
Most drivers, before becoming a bus driver, feel as if they cannot drive something so large. One driver recalled, “I saw all that bus in front of me and all that bus behind me, and thought how am I going to drive this? But now I prefer a bus to the car. People ask how I like driving in the bad weather. It’s the ride to and from work that I don’t like because I’m in my car.”
In addition to great pay and benefits, the most important feature of being a school transportation professional is the satisfaction of serving as a positive role model for children. These professionals have a daily impact on the educational experience of BKW’s students. The bus driver is often the first school employee a child sees in the morning and the last one they see in the afternoon.
BKW’s transportation team takes pride in that responsibility. One veteran driver said, “I’m on the third generation now; it’s been a joy to see some of the families grow beginning with the grandparent riding the bus as a student, to the parent and now the student. I’ve watched their school career from kindergarten until they walk across the stage at high school graduation. It’s like being part of the family.”
Those interested in making a difference in the lives of children and rewarding part- or full-time employment should contact the BKW Transportation Department at amy.santandrea@bkwschools.org, or (518) 872-1126.