By Gregory Childress

gchildress@heraldsun.com; 918-1046

CHAPEL HILL -- In June, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools was looking for seven good people to fill out its bus drivers' corps.

Now, the school district only needs one.

School transportation officials said Wednesday that all of the vacant positions have been filled with the exception of one.

"That's about where we normally stand around this time," said Jim Ellis, the school district's transportation operation manager. "The last week before school starts, we're either flush or one short. "We never have an abundance of drivers."

Classes are set to begin for city school students on Tuesday.

Ellis said the vacant position will be filled by substitute drivers until a permanent driver is found.

"We'll live with what we got and move on," Ellis said. "We just won't start the year flush."

Turnover for bus drivers in the school district is generally pretty low, but transportation officials said they lost six bus drivers at the end of the school year.

Ellis said it takes anywhere from two to three weeks to fully train a new bus driver. The training course includes both classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel work with a staff member from the state Department of Motor Vehicles. Training sessions are held at the Highway Patrol Station on U.S. 70 in Durham.

Candidates must pass tests in both areas to qualify to become a bus driver.

The school district employs about 60 bus drivers and carries seven or eight substitute drivers.

Starting bus drivers are paid $12.90 per hour and work 20 to 25 hours per week. They earn 10 sick days per year and are paid for major holidays.

To be eligible for a bus driver position, candidates must:

n Have a clean driving record, be alcohol and drug free and hold a high school diploma or GED.

n They should be at least 18 years old and must undergo a background check.

n Candidates must complete a three-day training course to receive a commercial driver's license (CDL) with "S" and "P" endorsements.

Candidates may apply directly to the bus garage, located at 1708 High School Road in Chapel Hill.

For more information, call (919) 942-5045.