Frequently Asked Questions s17

Frequently Asked Questions about Bus Driver Pay Adjustments

1. Why is the administration proposing Pay Grade 3 on the Support Staff Scale? Like other non-teaching staff, bus drivers and attendants support schools in their work roles. This is why the administration considered including these employees on the Support Pay Scale. No other group of employees has been excluded from our traditional pay scales. Many other school districts also include their bus drivers and attendants as support staff.

2. Why not implement the existing salary schedule for bus drivers & bus attendants? The salary schedule has not been updated annually to reflect specific dollar amount raises or percentage raises. Also, using the step schedule as it exists might cost more than the school system can afford at this time. Administrators looked at different options and decided to recommend an adjustment plan that could be implemented immediately so that bus drivers and attendants would not have to wait any longer to have their pay adjusted.

3. Why hasn’t the existing salary schedule for bus drivers and attendants been fully implemented? None of our pay plans had been followed as designed due to lack of funding over the years.

4. How will years of experience be determined? For bus drivers, relevant experience includes transporting passengers, such as driving a school bus (at LPSS or in another district); driving a city bus; or driving a commercial passenger bus, such as a Greyhound bus. It does not include driving a truck, van or other passenger vehicle. For bus attendants, relevant experience includes work related to assisting another adult with managing children, such as bus attendant (at LPSS or in another district); teacher assistant; or work in a day care center (not babysitting). Surveys are being mailed to all bus drivers and attendants with instructions to complete the survey and return it to Human Resources by 4 p.m. on Dec. 15, 2006.

5. If a person worked as a bus attendant for 4 years, then drove a bus for 10 years, will that person lose any of their years of experience? No one loses years of experience in the retirement system. However, when determining relevant years of experience for placement on the step schedule, every employee’s work experience will be evaluated, which may or may not match the number of years contributed toward retirement.

6. How will bus drivers and attendants get future raises? Bus drivers and attendants will receive the same raises that other support staff will receive and at the same time. They no longer will have to wait or be treated differently than other staff.

7. Will support employees get a step increase every year? The pay schedules are designed to work that way, but that decision is left up to the board each year based on funds available in the budget. Much like the teachers’ step schedule, some years may include a step increase, some may be a specific dollar amount, while other may include both or neither. In any case, the pay schedules will be adjusted to reflect if raises are given.

8. What other employees are included in Pay Grade 3? Support Pay Grade 3 includes the following positions: Accounting Clerk, Purchasing Clerk, Communications Facilitator, Secretary I, Non-Licensed Interpreter, Drill Instructor, and Employee Service Representative.

9. Why not place bus drivers in Pay Grade 4 or higher? When staff ran sample pay schedules for bus drivers and attendants, they tested different pay grades. They checked the cost of salary adjustments in each pay grade and the percentage of employees who would receive an adjustment in each scenario. Staff found that in Pay Grade 3, a similar percentage of employees received raises as compared with the other employee groups when their salaries were adjusted.

10. How does the Pay Grade 3 on the Support Pay Scale compare with other school districts’ bus driver pay? The 2005-2006 Summary of District Salaries shows that Lafayette Parish ranked 11th in the state for bus driver salaries. If all other salaries are the same, the adjustment provided by placing bus drivers in Pay Grade 3 will move Lafayette Parish up to 7th in the state in bus driver pay. *Souce: Louisiana Department of Education website, www.louisianaschools.net

11. Will bus drivers and attendants receive retroactive pay? The administration is recommending that bus drivers and attendants receive retroactive pay to July 1, 2006. This is the same recommendation that the board approved for other non- teaching staff.

12. When will the pay adjustments be implemented? If the board approves the administration’s proposal in December or January, bus drivers and attendants can expect to receive the retroactive pay as early as the January pay check, then their new regular salary would be reflected in their next monthly pay check.