Vegas school district hikes bus driver pay to fill staff gap

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The school district for metro Las Vegas is raising pay for new and current school bus drivers by at least 40% to try to reduce its pandemic-exacerbated staff shortage. The sprawling Clark County School District with 366 schools usually operates almost 1,600 bus routes but has about 240 school bus driver vacancies. Under raises announced earlier this month, current hourly pay for new hires will rise from $15.36 to $21.67 while the higher rates for experienced drivers will rise from just under $20 to just over $29. Within the past year, the district approved recruitment and retention bonuses for its drivers.