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WS/FC Schools Considers Pay Raises For Bus Drivers, Other Essential Workers

DAVID FORD/WFDD

Bus drivers in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools system could soon get a pay bump. The board of education is considering a proposal from the district's compensation committee that would raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour.  A $0.50 hourly raise is also part of the plan.

Chief Human Resources Officer Jevelyn Bonner-Reed says there are challenges in hiring and retaining bus drivers. The district is short around 60 of these positions. She says they need to move quickly as they prepare for more students to return.

“We also want to have a pilot program where we have $200 for a referral bonus for bus drivers that refer other bus drivers because they're closest to the job, understand the job and would understand the best talent for it,” says Bonner-Reed.

District officials say money for the raises would come from efficiency savings in the transportation budget that accumulated during school closures.

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Board is expected to vote on the proposal at its December 15th meeting.

The district is also reviewing possible compensation adjustments for other essential employees including child nutrition workers, teacher assistants, custodians and occupational and physical therapists.

Bonner-Reed says pending funding, possible pay adjustments for those workers will be brought forward to the board for consideration by February.

Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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