Peoria Unified school bus drivers' pay will go up beginning July 1 as school officials hope this will attract new employees.

The Peoria Unified Governing Board approved the higher pay schedule for bus drivers May 11.

The new pay schedule includes a $2 increase to the starting hourly rate, allowing Peoria Unified to offer more competitive pay for its transportation staff, increasing the rate to $19 an hour with up to 10 years of experience at the point of hire, and an equivalent pay increase for current employees.

The district welcomes the pay increase while experiencing bus driver shortages and temporary cancellations of bus routes. 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, officials said.

The team of driving professionals take students to and from school safely, on field trips, to compete in the big game and more. This school year, Peoria Unified’s transportation team has transported students more than 1.9 million collective miles.

Peoria Unified has both full-time and part-time openings for bus drivers as well as bus assistants. The district offers 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.