Did you know that St. Johns County is the eighth-fastest growing county in the country? According to a recent population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau, the county’s population increased by 4.2 percent in just one year. And it’s not just retirees flocking to the Sunshine State. Families with young kids are also moving south, which means we need more bus operators to transport children safely to and from school. St. Johns County School District’s Transportation Department is actively recruiting new bus operators – even offering a $1,000 sign-on bonus!
“There are so many positives to driving a bus,” explained Rebecca D’Alessio, bus operator, recruiter, and instructor for the Transportation Department. “It’s a meaningful, purposeful, and fun-filled job working with the kids and connecting with them. We like to say that we are the driving force of education.”
D’Alessio, a Massachusetts-native who graduated from Worcester State University with a degree in Geography and spent much of her adult life as a crew member on a passenger ferry in Key West, said she never even considered working as a bus driver until she read an ad in the local newspaper. “I was relatively new to St. Augustine and growing weary of working in the tourism industry,” said D’Alessio. “I knew that St. Johns County offered great benefits and I really wanted a job with stability, flexibility, and room to grow. Becoming a bus operator gave me all of those things plus they paid me to train for my CDL Class B license. I also love the diversity of working here. We have everyone from C-level professionals and retired public servants to great-grandmas and single parents.”
St. Johns County School District’s Transportation Department is accepting applications for full-time and part-time school bus operators. Training programs are held regularly throughout the year. Candidates must adhere to a strict list of requirements and will be given a $1,000 sign-on bonus after working as a bus operator for 60 school days. For more information, visit www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/transportation/jobs or contact George Marsh at 904-547-8818.
