As schools struggle to hire and retain teachers and many other positions, a shortage of bus drivers is also currently plaguing school districts in the county, regionally and even nationwide.

The issue seemed especially pressing for the Waterloo school district at the beginning of this academic year as the school board last month discussed issues parents and students faced with drop-off and pick-up delays as well as frequently changing routes.

The Waterloo Illinois Central School Bus office has put extreme effort toward recruiting new drivers, with a number of current staff speaking with the Republic-Times to discuss their experiences as drivers and the benefits they’ve found of helping take care of local students.

Veteran drivers and recent hires alike shared their thoughts, among them Kathy McGarry, Steve Hitsman, Amy McNew, Pam Loless and Jim Kelly.

Each offered some insight into how they got involved with the bus service.

Loless mentioned simply hearing about the job from an older driver while McGarry spoke about working a corporate job for many years and finally stepping into bus driving as it would allow her more time to spend with her son – particularly as drivers are able to bring their very young children to work with them.

Hitsman said he became interested merely by seeing the many signs advertising the position scattered around town.

Per each of these drivers, the benefits of getting behind the wheel have been numerous.

Pay is one such benefit, with the starting hourly wage standing at $20.60.

Along with pay, drivers spoke about flexible hours and substantial opportunities to regularly work. While the morning pick-up and afternoon drop-off are what most people think of when it comes to bus driving, transporting school sports teams and field trips are additional ways of putting in hours.

As McGarry spoke about the opportunities bus driving provided her to spend time with her child, she and other drivers emphasized the flexibility of having a job that lines up with their child’s own schedule.

“If you’re a stay-at-home mom or you’re retired, that’s the perfect job for them,” McGarry said. “Because when your kid’s in school, you can be working. When they’re on school break, so are you.”

Regarding flexibility, it was noted among the group that at least one driver in the district works a full-time job on top of serving as a driver, getting up to handle the morning route, heading into his day job and then stepping away to assist with afternoon drop-offs.

Many of the drivers also spoke about how they have simply become better drivers after their training and many hours behind the wheel of a vehicle far larger than their own.

Loless noted how her time on a school bus has helped her greatly in learning how to properly use mirrors as a driver.

By far the most-discussed benefits of the job among these drivers were the pride they have helping the school district and the thanks they have received for their work.

McGarry noted how she’s gotten to know the kids she takes care of each day, and everyone else resoundingly agreed when she mentioned how these young students sometimes see her in public only to run up and greet her in excitement.

The drivers also spoke to the sense they have that they’re giving back to their community, also noting the appreciation parents and coaches have expressed for their work.

“I can’t say enough good things about it, and I don’t know how to convey that to the public,” McNew said.

Cynthia French, the manager for Illinois Central’s Waterloo office, spoke alongside these drivers, sharing some of the experiences she’s heard about.

Among these anecdotes, French recalled how at least one driver on a rural route decided to set up flags to show them the way after several commutes spent struggling to follow the route with few visible road signs, noting how drivers in the community are dedicated to doing their job well.

Several drivers also chimed in to note that students can be quite helpful when it comes to assisting drivers navigate routes they’re not entirely familiar with yet.

French also spoke about the job generally, describing the camaraderie among the drivers in the district and adding that the work can be rather rewarding, with the bus acting as an extension of the classroom.

Even with the many positive aspects of bus driving, the Waterloo district and countless others are facing driver shortages this year, though bus services have been facing reduced numbers for some time.

French offered some quantification for this recent shortage, noting that the service was handling 39 routes about five years ago, with those being condensed into 26 routes now.

As far as the reason for this shortage, French pointed to a number of potential factors including the fact that being a bus driver is a tremendous responsibility many simply aren’t interested in undertaking.

“It’s a big responsibility,” French said. “You’re transporting 40 to 60-plus kids. You’re trying to see what’s in front of you traffic-wise, what’s around you and what’s behind you in addition to being held accountable, feet-to-the-fire of what’s happening in that bus between children.”

Along with this, the prospect of handling such a large vehicle can be quite imposing, though the training leading up to actually driving a school bus is quite thorough.

Pay can also be an issue. Districts can often steal drivers from one another as they each push to keep wages competitive.

Outside of driving, other jobs can simply sound more appealing when it comes to pay. Serving as a bus driver is not a full-time job, and with the prospect of training, a job in fast food or retail can seem more accessible.

Issues particularly affecting the Waterloo bus service are also possible, as a number of former drivers who spoke with the Republic-Times attested.

Lisa Grove, a longtime driver who also served as safety manager at the office for a time, was among those who spoke about issues with management.

Grove spoke about a micro-managing of routes and a seeming distrust of drivers and their familiarity with this area.

Another driver, Leo Fulton, left Waterloo to drive for Columbia recently. He also spoke about micro-managing issues and the treatment of drivers as though they were not professionals.

He also spoke about how additional rules seemed to crop up, such as having to call into the office before backing out of a long driveway or before and after passing a tractor on the highway.

Rodney Morwick was another former Waterloo driver who left to work in Valmeyer – he noted that this change was for less pay.

Morwick echoed these sentiments, also describing a change in atmosphere to the district as the chairs and tables were abruptly removed from the break room as though the sense of family was being replaced with a strict focus on work.

When asked for a response to these apparent issues, French said that, as she began overseeing the Waterloo bus service, she noted that a number of changes needed to be made as several policies were not being observed.

Though people might not have responded well to these changes, she said, policies such as calling prior to passing are intended to improve driver safety and ensure the students are taken care of as well as possible.

On the matter of the break room, she noted there were a number of reasons for the changes, and she thus made them at the recommendation of a business agent.

French further noted that there is an active sense of camaraderie and community within Waterloo’s bus service, with senior drivers and new drivers staying with the district without problems.

Regardless of the reason for the district’s bus driver shortage, the passion for the job among current drivers as well as the need for additional staff are both clear.

“We’re like anybody else in the community,” McGarry said. “We’re short-staffed, but we are doing the absolute very best that we can. Our first priority is the safety of all of our kids.”