ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) – Asheville City Schools has narrowly averted a bus crisis by increasing the stipend for drivers. The school board voted to increase the drivers’ stipends from $200 to $700, after the “dual-employee” bus drivers, who used to be paid by Buncombe County and Asheville City schools, but is now only paid by the city, said they weren’t given enough to make up the difference. The increased stipend will stay in place until the end of the school year. Leaders consider it a short-term solution until they can hire more drivers. If the district was fully staffed, it would have 29 bus drivers. But it has 17, four of whom threatened to resign.
-0-