School Bus Companies Need More Drivers

(KNSI) – More school bus drivers are needed in the St. Cloud Area.

Spanier Bus Service management says they’re looking for another five to six drivers for their morning and afternoon routes. Owner Tami Spanier says they’ve never had to cancel a route and don’t plan on it this year.

“First and foremost, we will get students to and from school. That’s those morning and afternoon routes. The activities, we’re going to have to delay buses leaving for activities because we don’t have people to put in those buses. We will get them there but it will be after some of the a.m. and p.m. routes are done.”

The bus company is hoping to have more hires by the middle of September. Spanier says all of her staff, including herself, are licensed to drive a bus, and they can fill in the gaps.

“My office staff will be in buses. My mechanic staff will be in buses. I may even be driving around. We have options and we’ve got the routes covered. But it’s not a good way to to operate any business to have your office and mechanic staff in buses throughout the day.”

She says other bus companies with the Sauk Rapids-Rice, Rocori, and Sartell-St. Stephen school districts are in the same situation.

Spanier says they will handle all the training and the only things needed to be a bus driver are a clean driving record and love working with kids. Spanier Bus, Trobec Bus Service, and Palmer Bus Service contracts with the St. Cloud Area School District. The district covers 250 square miles and has around 10,000 students.

All three companies are hiring.

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