For the first time in five years, District 49 is offering a substantial pay raise for bus drivers, according to a Wednesday news release.

The pay hike, which went into effect July 1, is part of the district’s effort to combat an ongoing shortage of drivers that was exacerbated during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.

“We are pleased we have this opportunity to adjust compensation for a role that has been understaffed for the last few years – but critically so this last year, and we are hopeful this support will restore reliability of service to families,” said Brett Ridgway, District 49’s chief business officer. “All of our employees will benefit from the improving economic stability in the coming year, however we also realize we need to address a critical need with available resources.”

As new coronavirus cases decline across the state and public health conditions improve, the 25,000-student district is anticipating an increased need for bus drivers. At this point, the supply cannot meet the projected demand, according to the release.

During the 2020-2021 school year, the district was forced to cut and combine routes and stagger many drop-off and pick-up times. Students living within a certain distance from school were required to walk or find their own transportation when the district created “walking zones” to deal with the driver shortage.

Dozens of drivers will need to be hired by District 49’s planned opening date of August 17 to adequately service its routes and provide transportation for extracurricular activities like sporting events and field trips, according to transportation director Jack Pietraallo.

“No matter how we slice it, our families will feel the pain and will have to plan for the inconvenience if we cannot hire more drivers,” Pietraallo said.

The transportation director called for patience as the district goes through the process of hiring and training new drivers, familiarizing them with routes, and gradually expanding services.

“Training new drivers is a process that takes time,” Pietraallo said. “The good news is, we compensate our new hires through the entire process.”

Drivers will receive a benefits package, effective upon obtaining a commercial drivers license, which will include a signing bonus of up to $1,000, officials said. They will also be paid by the hour during training.

Pietraallo said the district is also calling upon its families and constituents to aid in recruiting efforts.

“We think the families we serve are a great network who could connect us with people looking for work opportunities,” said Pietraallo. “We want to make this strategy a win-win.”