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Novices give driving a school bus a try at Cedar Rapids recruiting event
School bus drivers needed in Eastern Iowa, but shortage now less dire
May. 12, 2025 5:30 am, Updated: May. 12, 2025 8:31 am
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CEDAR RAPIDS — It wasn’t even on Revina Wilson’s mind to get behind the wheel of a school bus until she heard the Cedar Rapids Community School District was having a recruiting event later that day.
Within hours, she got to do just that — navigating the about 40-foot-long bus through traffic cones in the parking lot of Kingston Stadium.
“I just never thought that I could do it,” Wilson said after stepping off the school bus. “It’s a big vehicle. I’m looking at my little short self, and I’m like, ‘No way.’
“Being that I’m here validates that yes, this is what I want to do. Now, I’ve had the actual feeling of it,” Wilson said.
This is the first time the Cedar Rapids district invited the public to get hands-on experience driving a school bus in an effort to recruit more drivers. Thirty-seven people attended the “Take the Wheel: The Yellow Bus Experience” event May 2 — five times more than attendance at past recruiting events — and 11 people applied on-site, including Wilson, said Heather Butterfield, the district’s director of communications.
“It's an opportunity to learn about the job, test drive a vehicle and ask questions in a relaxed setting. Driving a school bus is more than a job, it’s a chance to make a difference every day, and we want(ed) folks to come see how rewarding it can be,” said Scott Wing, the district’s transportation manager.
Stacy West, a Cedar Rapids district school bus driver, guided prospective drivers through adjusting the driver’s seat and steering wheel, seeing the seven different kinds of mirrors for visibility and learning how to stop to pick up children for school.
“Nobody’s terrified me yet,” West said early in the event. “Everybody’s done great. It’s a great opportunity for people to learn.”
Eastern Iowa school districts are seeing improved staffing levels for school bus drivers five years after the COVID-19 pandemic struck, but shortages persist.
The Cedar Rapids district has 15 bus driver and five van driver positions open.
“Some people think, ‘It’s the end of the school year. Why are we doing this now?’ It takes four to six weeks — sometimes more — to get through training. Once you get through the hiring process in May, we’re spending the summer training our people to be ready for August,” Wing said.
Steve Behrens, a mechanic in the Cedar Rapids district, said he’s been driving a school bus daily because of the driver shortage.
“I don’t mind driving, but it’s not my job. It would be better to be able to be helpful if there’s a breakdown on the side of the road and being available for that rather than driving,” Behrens said.
Even so, Behrens said it’s “neat” being the first person to welcome students each day and the last one they see before they go home. “You start their day off with a smile,” he said.
Kris Hartgrave, director of transportation with the College Community School District, said the district is “always hiring” bus drivers.
“Even if you think you’re in a spot where you’re fully staffed, it can turn around real quick,” she said.
The College Community district is looking for five more drivers right now. To fill in gaps, they’ve hired athletic coaches as bus drivers so they can transport their teams to games and competitions.
In the Linn-Mar Community School District, eight more drivers are needed.
“Coming into this year was probably the best position we’ve been in since COVID-19, but as the year’s gone on, there’s not as many candidates out there,” said Brian Cruise, Linn-Mar’s transportation manager.
“School buses really are not hard to drive. It’s one hurdle we deal with — trying to instill confidence in people to consider driving a bus,” Cruise said.
Denny Schreckengast, director of transportation for the Clear Creek Amana Community School District, said having 10 to 15 more drivers “would be a blessing.” With the growing number of students interested in extracurricular activities this year, Clear Creek Amana district’s current staff is being stretched thin, Schreckengast said.
“The bottom line is I’m looking for good people who have common sense and are reliable,” he said.
Bus drivers in each district work between 25 to 30 hours a week. The job often can be paired with other jobs in a school district — in areas of nutrition services or paraprofessional, for example — for someone looking to work more hours.
Starting salaries range from between about $22 to $24 an hour, depending on the district.
Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com
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