116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Solon schools superintendent gets bus driver's license as shortage persists
Solon one of 46 schools, businesses to receive Future Ready Iowa grant to train new drivers and attract more talent
Apr. 24, 2023 5:00 am, Updated: Apr. 24, 2023 3:17 pm
SOLON — Solon schools Superintendent Davis Eidahl is now a licensed school bus driver. He trained and got his license over spring break so he could be on call when needed as the shortage of drivers persists across the country.
“The more I’ve been behind the wheel, the more I look forward to it,” Eidahl said. “It’s another opportunity to be surrounded by kids. They’ve got great energy. After driving a team of 65 kids to a track meet, every one of them thanked me when they got off and on the bus. Watching them compete is another excuse to drive.”
Solon schools will need up to 15 new drivers this fall for daily routes and to drive students to and from activities. Many longtime drivers who have been with the district for over 20 years are retiring, Eidahl said.
“We’re forecasting a cliff,” he said.
Solon is one of 46 school districts and businesses to receive new grant funding from Future Ready Iowa for the Entry Level Driver Training Program to help schools compensate employees with on-the-job training. To drive a school bus in Iowa, a Class B CDL license is required.
Solon schools received an $89,000 grant, allowing them to establish a permanent driver training course within the district. Until that course is established, Solon schools is working with the Davis County Community School District in Bloomfield — about a two-hour drive from Solon — where Eidahl himself trained to be a driver. The school district will reimburse drivers for the cost of the training.
When the district launches its own bus driver training program, Eidahl said he hopes it will make it “a little more convenient and attractive” for people to apply.
To attract more drivers, Solon schools also is advertising new positions that can be combined to create a full-time job. For examples, drivers could also be school custodians or teacher associates.
The district also increased starting pay for bus drivers to $27 an hour — a $4 increase from last year. A driver who comes to the district and already has a license to drive a school bus can get a $1,000 bonus.
The Solon school district is not alone in its need for bus drivers. Across the country, school districts are reporting record number of bus driver shortages.
Last month, Cedar Rapids schools reported 34 open bus driver positions. The College Community School District in November increased its starting pay for bus drivers to $23 an hour, a $2 increase in an effort to recruit and retain more drivers.
The Cedar Rapids Community School District was also awarded $98,990 from Future Ready Iowa for the Entry Level Driver Training Program.
Dave Johnson, Solon schools director of transportation, said he took the job five years ago to “give back to my community.”
“That’s probably the biggest reason I see for the drivers we currently have — they want to give back to the community they live and grew up in,” Johnson said.
Being a bus driver is “rewarding.” They are the first school official a student sees in the morning and the last one they see at the end of the day, Johnson said.
“You’re providing safe transportation. That’s a pretty big responsibility and a big part of the learning process without being in the classroom,” Johnson said.
The Solon school district also is anticipating adding 800 kids to the school district — which currently has a student body of 1,500 — in the next 10 years. That means more bus routes and more drivers.
Voters in the Solon school district passed a $25.5 million bond referendum last month to fund improvements across the district. This includes $650,000 to renovate a former truck stop — purchased by the district on the north edge of town — into a transportation center with covered space for bus parking. This will help extend the life of district-owned buses and reduce the amount of time drivers spend prepping buses in the winter months,
The district recently purchased two new buses to add to an aging fleet and plans to add another two additional buses. The district’s current fleet consists of 19 buses, seven of which are 10 or more years old and becoming a challenge to maintain, Eidahl said.
A full-time mechanic was also hired in January to ensure all district vehicles are safe and always running efficiently with routine and necessary maintenance.
Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com
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