CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – There's been dozens of complaints from parents about buses being on time and getting their kids to school, especially at the beginning of the year.

• At the start of October, the district changed its starting pay to $15 an hour
• The cost to bump pay and add raises totals out to $2.7 million
• A new class started Monday, and they’re pushing for a double class come November

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools knows and are now trying to encourage more drivers to hop aboard. At the start of October, the district changed its starting pay to $15 an hour, up from $12.87. Veteran drivers will get a $0.50 raise.

"We’ve hired 105 drivers since August 1, but in that same period of time we’ve lost 94 drivers," said Transportation Exec. Director Adam Johnson. "It's been to more high paying jobs."

That's a big factor in on-time performance. Senior staffers are sent out to combine routes. Parent Brandi Moreton Morris explained what happens when she walks her middle schooler to their stop in Myers Park.

"Best time has been 20 minutes late, and it's been as much as an hour late and the other day simply didn’t show up," said Morris.

The cost to bump pay and add raises totals out to $2.7 million. However, Johnson added it doesn’t come as an additional cost to taxpayers - we’re told transportation redirected dollars in their budget to vacant positions.

The district hopes some of the drivers who quit the first time around will give CMS a second look. A new class started Monday, and they’re pushing for a double class come November.