St. Johns County hopes to steer some toward new careers as school bus drivers

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Bethany Mewborn is simply a autobus adjutant for St. Johns County schools. But she thinks shifting into the driver’s spot is successful her future.

“I emotion the kids and conscionable being connected the bus,” Mewborn said. “I privation the other experience. I conscionable emotion what I do.”

Mewborn was among dozens of others connected a trial way Saturday connected Gaines Road successful St. Augustine, getting a hands-on acquisition of what it is similar to thrust a schoolhouse bus.

“Being an adjutant and being connected the bus, I ticker a batch of the drivers and prime up connected what they do,” she said.

“There is simply a hesitation,” said Phil Rizzo, St. Johns County Schools proscription adjunct director. “[People say] ‘I don’t cognize if I tin thrust a bus. They look truthful large and there’s kids.’”

Rizzo said helium planned this first-time lawsuit to assistance calm fears for those who mightiness not beryllium consenting to springiness it a spell astatine being a schoolhouse autobus operator otherwise.

“I was precise intimidated, but it was not excessively bad,” said Mike Ruddy, who drove done the course. “It was a batch of looking successful the mirrors to wage attraction but [the instructor] made it simple.”

Ad

Rizzo said St. Johns County schools person each 247 autobus routes covered. There is not a autobus operator shortage. But helium expects much routes whitethorn beryllium needed arsenic soon arsenic adjacent semester.

“Any fixed day, determination are sick callouts, idiosyncratic days off, household issues oregon radical request to instrumentality the time off,” helium said. “So, we conscionable privation to effort to enactment up of that.”

People were capable to get connected the signifier people to spot if this is simply a occupation for them.

They besides had the accidental to bash a simulator to spell done antithetic scenarios a autobus operator mightiness encounter.

After the experience, Mewborn is definite astir 1 thing.

“It feels similar the close happening to do,” she said of perchance becoming a autobus driver. “It’s the adjacent determination for me.”

Rizzo says the Starting wage for autobus drivers successful the territory is $16 an hour.

All drivers volition beryllium paid during the much than 40 hours required of grooming starring up to the exam to gain a CDL license.

If you are interested, telephone (904) 547-8814.

Ad

Copyright 2021 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.