Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) officially kicks off the 2023-2024 school year on Monday, Aug. 28. More than 28,000 students in kindergarten through Grade 12 are expected to start school Monday.
About 82% of students – which is roughly 23,000 children – use CCPS bus transportation to and from school. CCPS contracts most of its transportation services with 24 privately-owned Charles County bus contractors. These vendors employ 282 bus drivers, substitute drivers and bus attendants. CCPS directly employs about 38 drivers who also cover daily bus routes.
According to a press release issued yesterday by the Charles County School Bus Contractors Association (CCSBCA), CCPS was facing a possible disruption to transportation services over bus contract concerns. Concerns raised by contractors included the lack of an eight-hour minimum workday for contracted drivers/attendants, an adequate cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) percentage and a multi-year contract.
To avoid any disruption in transportation services for students and their families, CCPS has agreed to work with the CCSBCA to develop a multi-year transportation agreement with school bus contractors. Additionally, CCPS will increase the guaranteed paid hours for contracted bus drivers and attendants who cover a shift of four hours or more to eight hours for the 2023-2024 school year, regardless of if they work a full eight hours. However, drivers who work less than four hours will be paid a minimum of six hours. All contracted bus drivers and attendants will also get a 5% COLA (see chart below for a breakdown). As provided in the contract with bus contractors, contractors can pay above these levels.
Cost to CCPS to implement an eight-hour workday for contracted drivers and attendants, and provide the 5% COLA, for the 2023-2024 school year is about $2 million. CCPS will pull $400,000 from within the current transportation budget, with the remaining $1.6 million to be pulled from instructional programs and staffing. When CCPS pulls funding from instructional areas, students are directly impacted.
The Board of Education of Charles County met Aug. 22 with Superintendent of Schools Maria Navarro, Ed.D., to discuss the implementation of an eight-hour workday for contracted bus drivers and attendants. The Board agreed to support CCPS offering a minimum eight-hour workday for contracted drivers and attendants as part of the 2023-2024 bus contract. The Board also spoke in support of Superintendent Navarro and staff continuing to work with the CCSBCA to develop a multi-year contract. During the Board’s executive session meeting today, Superintendent Navarro discussed with the Board areas of the budget that may be impacted, including instructional programs for students, or funding allocated for extended-learning programs, such as summer school and summer boost. The Board was not in support of cutting any extended-learning programs for students and recognized that other instructional areas may be affected.
“A successful start to the school year for all students is my top priority. While many of our students have parents or family members who could take them to school, many children do not, and their families rely on bus transportation to get their children to and from school. When students miss school, not only are they missing instruction, but many rely on meals provided at school. It is my job to ensure all school-aged children in Charles County come to school and have resources to ensure they succeed,” Navarro said. “Since I began my tenure as Superintendent, I have consistently strived to listen to concerns and interests shared by contracted bus drivers and attendants along with bus contractors. In my three years in Charles County, salaries and COLA percentages have increased each year for contracted bus drivers and attendants. I will continue to ensure that not only are CCPS employed staff members receiving salary and COLA increases whenever possible, but those committed to driving students to and from school safely each day are fairly compensated as well,” Navarro said.
The CCSBCA, according to its website, represents 24 Charles County privately owned bus contractor companies. As of Aug. 22, none of the 24 independent bus contractors have signed contracts for the coming school year. CCPS has already provided about $500,000 in administrative fee funding to contractors for the new school year. In prior school years, CCPS began the school year without signed bus contract agreements in place and full transportation service continued. CCPS staff will amend the previously offered contract to include the 5% COLA and an eight-hour minimum workday for contracted drivers and attendants.
Discussions with CCPS bus contractors, drivers and attendants have been ongoing for the past several months and are typically held annually regarding bus services for the coming school year. These discussions addressed their concerns, including paying all drivers and attendants for an eight-hour workday, regardless of if they worked those hours or not.
Staff, Board of Education members, local and state elected officials, contractor representatives, driver and attendant representatives and Superintendent Navarro have been meeting with members of a transportation task force required by the Maryland General Assembly to study school bus operations and wages. Members of the task force also advocated for an eight-hour minimum workday and a 5% COLA for contracted bus drivers and attendants, as well as exploring a multi-year contract to provide job security.
The task force met today for its fifth meeting and members agreed to a 45-day window for CCPS to address concerns raised by contractors, drivers and attendants, and recommendations made through task force meetings. CCPS does not anticipate any bus service interruptions when school starts next week. Any back-to-school updates for the coming school year will be posted at www.ccboe.com.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 27,598 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 37 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
