Peoria Unified governing board at their March 27 public meeting approved a higher pay schedule for school bus drivers.

The raise will be effective July 1.

PUSD drivers were among the worst paid compared to surrounding districts, but the increase in pay now places Peoria Unified among the highest paying districts for bus drivers in the Valley, district officials say.

Since long before the pandemic, commercial driver retention has been a national problem, and PUSD’s transportation division has been hit hard with the loss of drivers, leading to delays and causing them to make double runs and use non-bus vehicles for pickups and drop offs, as well as cancel bus routes.

Officials said the higher hourly rate will allow Peoria Unified to attract and retain high-quality employees to transport students safely and efficiently to and from school.

The new pay schedule includes a $5 increase to the starting hourly rate, allowing Peoria Unified to offer more competitive pay for its transportation staff, increasing the rate to $24 an hour with up to 10 years of experience at the point of hire, and an equivalent pay increase for current employees.

The district’s transportation department includes a team of driving professionals who are responsible for taking students to and from school safely, to field trips, to compete in athletics and much more.

This school year, Peoria Unified’s transportation team has transported students more than 3.4 million collective miles.

The district has both full-time and part-time openings for bus drivers as well as bus assistants, and the district says it will help new bus drivers obtain their Commercial Driver License license, which is required to operate a bus for 16 or more passengers, according to state law.

The positions include benefits, state retirement eligibility, and professional growth opportunities.

The district also increased its communication to actively recruit new school bus drivers to the district. Those interested in joining Peoria Unified should visit jobs.peoriaunified.org to apply.

To visit Peoria Unified’s Transportation Department, call 623-486-6100 or email pusdpr@pusd11.net.