The Brief
- Polk County faces a critical school bus driver shortage as population growth and retirements create dozens of vacancies before classes start.
- The school district needs to hire 70 full-time drivers to prevent buses from running double routes for students.
- Applicants can learn about open positions offering full benefits at an upcoming weekend event alongside the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
LAKELAND, Fla. – Polk County Public Schools officials are urgently hiring full-time bus drivers to fill 70 vacancies caused by rapid population growth and recent retirements.
Polk County driver vacancies
By the numbers:
The school district currently employs 440 full-time drivers but needs to fill 70 vacancies before classes begin on Aug. 11.
Open positions offer a starting pay of $19.46 an hour along with full benefits.
The fastest-growing areas driving this demand are the northeast corridor—specifically Davenport and Haines City—as well as the Lakeland area.
Driver requirements
What we know:…