Holland Public Schools (HPS) is pulling out all the stops in the hope that a few local heroes will step up to ensure that each day every family has safe, reliable access to education.

‍HPS is offering top pay in the district for bus drivers: around $25 an hour. Drivers who work at least 20 hours a week will also receive benefits. Additionally, HPS will pay for new bus drivers’  training and CDL certification.

It is shocking, then, that at the recent “Buses and BBQ” recruiting event, Jason Craner, director of communications and marketing, shared that there was a very limited turnout. Even just one or two additional drivers could make all the difference for students and families at HPS.

Family and Community Impact

According to Craner, at least a third of the student population has signed up for bus transportation for the 2026-2027 academic school year. “We have built the routes for the drivers that we have,” Craner shared, “[but] we’d like to make things easier for everybody.” He explained that HPS is operating on such a thin margin that in the past when a driver was unable to come to work due to illness or a personal matter, the district turned to other staff members to get behind the wheel.

“The biggest impact that families feel when it comes to the shortage is on days when we have sick bus drivers, or drivers that call out for the day. Often that means canceling or delaying a route,” Craner explained. The HPS transportation director and even the high school English teacher have both found themselves behind the wheel to pick up kids in the morning. Craner stressed that they have enough drivers to do morning and afternoon pickup and drop-off as well as sporting event transportation, but it’s the unexpected gap when life happens, as it always does, that leaves them scrambling for a solution.

Another often-overlooked effect of the bus driver shortage is the quantity of students on a single bus, as well as the length of time the kids are on the bus. HPS never has an unsafe number of students on a bus; however, Craner would love to be able to spread more kids out and shorten some of the routes. In Ottawa County, the average length of time a student spends on the bus is between 30 and 45 minutes each way. More drivers could mean shorter routes, which could mean less time spent on the bus for kids in Ottawa County.

Front Runner in Safety

“Safety is a top priority for Holland bus drivers,” Vicki Corneau, transportation director, recently shared in a podcast interview. One way HPS has prioritized safety is through the My Ride K-12 app. This app allows parents to track their child’s bus: when it will arrive in the morning, when their student has arrived at school, and when their child is on or off the bus.

Corneau also said that the bus drivers really care about their students. HPS drivers are dedicated to getting kids home safely, and they are active and involved in the happenings on their buses. If something isn’t right on the bus, they want to connect with parents and be proactive in finding a way to remedy the situation. Corneau ensures interested future drivers that they would be joining an incredible team.

Walk-Ins Welcome

Those considering applying to make a difference in the lives of local students should know that they would have the privilege of impacting these students daily by being a reliable, consistent presence, a cheerleader and champion of their success, and a safe space. These local heroes can visit the Maintenance Transportation Center (MTC) located at 870 S. Waverly Road for an on-the-spot interview. Or reach out to HPS (616-494-2000) and express interest in being a bus driver.

Author note:
As a former schoolteacher, trust me, kids talk about their favorite bus drivers. It may seem simple, but by driving a bus, you could make a huge impact on the next generation.

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