CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- School’s out for students, but it’s already crunch time to recruit more bus drivers for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

• CMS is doing a hiring drive this week, trying to get 40 more drivers on board.
• Organizers say about five percent of the 1,047 drivers are absent each day so they need reliable drivers to fill the need.
• Leaders say a shortage last year made several students more than five or 10 minutes late to school.

CMS is doing a hiring drive this week, trying to get 40 more drivers on board.

Organizers say about five percent of the 1,047 drivers are absent each day so they need reliable drivers to fill the need.

They say an incentive is the $15 starting pay and full-time positions.

Leaders say a shortage last year made several students more than five or 10 minutes late to school.

“Earlier in the 2018-2019 school year, we had several late buses, but made significant improvements in the second semester,” a spokesperson said.

“Part of that process is working through the starting pay,” CMS transportation executive director Adam Johnson said. “We recognized that last year and were able to increase the starting pay to $15 an hour. We’re also working through some different programs this year for discipline on the buses, to work with our school administrators as well as our drivers on additional training to make sure they feel comfortable behind the wheel and certainly keep them with us for years to come.”

The next bus class session is set for July. You can find out more information here.