A new contract for Rutherford County school bus contractors has been approved, WSMV reports. The approval comes after recent tensions and threats of a strike by some drivers.
The agreement, passed by the School Board on Thursday, includes a 24.5% raise over four years—17% in the first year and 2.5% in each of the next three. The deal also provides a $4,000 stipend to help drivers pay for their own insurance, after a new state law barred the county from covering bus insurance as it had in the past.
While the contract has been approved by the board, each contractor must decide whether to sign it by May 29. Some drivers say the insurance stipend may not be enough and could opt not to return.
If more than 35 routes go unfilled, the district is prepared to step in by purchasing a dozen buses and hiring drivers to keep transportation running.
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