Pros
(*) Rewarding if you want to help keep school bus student transportation available to get students to & from brick & mortar schools. (*) Currently still free training for those who don't have a CDL &/or S license endorsements to qualify to drive a bus. (*) With the nationwide shortage of qualified school bus drivers, if you are a diligent, safe driver, committed to the mission, if you don't like the current bus provider, many of the competition are offering reasonable to exorbitant bonuses to get you to change companies. The question you need to ask yourself is are you doing for the community you live in or support nearby, for better working conditions & better maintained equipment, or strictly the money. (*) If you have time & desire, there is typically additional work for sports & school outings, if you don't mind obligating additional time to fill certain trips during the day (limited), & many evenings &/or weekends. (*) If you are bored at home, want to be active (operational engagement) in retirement, or need some supplemental income for those who may be financially challenged at the moment, & your health, driving record, background checks, & ability to get the specialized licenses, this just might be a potential opportunity to explore. (*) Just like many other jobs, or jobs under the guise of careers, there are many challenges if you are up to the challenges. You have to love working with kids, their parents, the school staff, & operations, including many temperamental mechanics, which are relied upon severely to allow you to perform your job. (*) Typically working 2.25-3 hrs in the morning (approx. 6am to 9am), & then returning for 2.25-3 hours in the afternoon (approx. 1:45 to 4-4:30pm)
Cons
(*) Not a career. Careers should be considered as full-time financially self-sustaining occupations, whereas school bus driving is more like a part-time job or paid volunteer with somewhat lower pay, in hopes of finding enough qualified drivers, to help students in the community get to/from school. (*) Unless you are working 35-40 or 50 hours a week in a profession with real benefits, reality is that it is truly a part-time or seasonal support job. (*) Benefits may be referenced, but the realities are that they are limited in scope, & typically require 30 hours min per week to obtain, so majority of employees don't qualify. (*) On school off days, or extended breaks, you typically don't get paid from sub-contracted bus providers, unless a union, or school district contracts require otherwise. (*) In the same scenario, in today's health emergencies, like COVID-19, or snow/excessive cold declared remote learning days, you lose non-guaranteed income. (*) Regardless of drivers finding unpaid days off, even though you previously committed yourself, & were scheduled, but school transportation was cancelled, the office personnel above the drivers still get paid, but not you as a driver. (*) Unless you take extra trips, (which are both bid separately, or given out without bid based upon seniority), separate from Home To School, & School To Home, you must be willing to tie up (9-10 months & avail. for maybe 4.5-6 hours, spread out over 10-11 hours day) of your lives each school day, for a max of 180 days of potential work, if you work the full school year.
