If you want benifits go to United Airlines for $8.00 per hour or Mc Donalds. No decent paying part time or contract job pays emploees benifits.
What world are you living in, and if you voted for Obama, he will make changes, keep waiting.
Lots of people work 2 part time jobs to make ends meet. If you are driving a school bus and collecting a pension like a lot of you are than you can afford to by your benifits. Check other states, Texas, California, just to mention a few, NO BENIFITS FOR THEIR PART TIME DRIVERS.
I also am a part timer making $27. and hour, NO BENIFITS.

That’s 32 hours to get welfare benefits!

In California you have to work 32 hours a week to get your benfits but not in the Loudoun school district.

Another… Please keep the comments professional.  :(

West Bus… I’m feeling much better about things now. I finally rested well last night. 

Thank you to all who supported us!

Another, it’s done…we won…get over it!

@LCPS p-on…. *high-5*  the joke will be on them (the public) if the Board does not vote in our best interest.  And FYI Mr & Mrs Public, most bus drivers think its hilarious when the you haul ass past our busses, only to meet us at the next red light!  LMFAO!!

Raises and Benefits for all! Now we can get back to the important stuff…our kids! Thank you to all who participated in this discussion, I’ve enjoyed the debate.

Fear, actually everyone could have what they want, IF we cut the waste. Let me give you an example: the buses have GPS systems but Transportation is going to add electronic time clocks to all the buses as well. The cost is astronomical, and overkill! Pull the GPS reports and get the same result with one piece of equipment. That’s just one example off the top of my head. Oh, and those buses with seatbelts cost an extra 20k, and I don’t know of a single child who wears them. See what I’m saying? Loudoun mandated themselves to do the seatbelt thing, VA does not require them. The other issue with those particular buses is the narrow aisles. Someone weighing 120 LBS. can’t get down the aisle unless they go sideways. Now picture a loaded bus with a sick kid in the last row…how long will it take us to get to this child to help? That type of bus also breaks down more frequently than the rest of the fleet. Just thoughts…..

While “west bus” appears to be genuinely concerned about the budget, the rest of these drivers who have commented seem indifferent to the idea that their sacrifice will benefit the children by channeling more funds into the classroom where education belongs. The issue needs to be framed: Classroom Benefits the Students or Fringe benefits for the part-time.

Let me just start out by saying my bus run starts out at 545am for those people who think that driving a bus starts at 700. To those people who think that there are attendants on all buses, think again. Special needs buses are the only buses that have attendants. We deal with seizure prone students, a child having a meltdown, vomiting to name a few. How many of you would know what to do if a child is having a seizure? To the one that complained about being cut off my a bus driver. Have you stop to think that it would be nice to let us in once in a while? In most cases its because we have a right or left turn coming up. To the same person who was talking about the discourteous bus driver WELCOME TO OUR WORLD you morons. We deal with this every day. To the ones that see a parent and bus driver “chit chatting” Don’t assume that they’re talking about th weather or what they’re having for dinner. There are many reasons why a parent is talking to a driver. Especially for the special need buses. Could be someone different picking up the student, a problem the child is having… They could be talking while the attendant is getting that child situated. I say to any parents out there that think part time employees don’t deserve benefits and are willing to drive their kids to school then more power to ya. You think there is gridlock now just wait. You’ve seen nothing yet. To the person that said she makes 18.75 an hour and pays 75.00 a wk. Well guess what I make less than you and pay out more a month than you so you do the math. I pay $356 and change at 17.25 an hour. So what makes you any better than us. To all the idiots that have a problem with school buses and most likely driving YOUR children to school then why do you have them take the bus anyway? So next time you decide to run our lights, pass us in a no passing zone, cut us off, what have you remember its your precious angels we’re transporting.We’re not the lousy drivers you are. So if part time employees lose their benefits you will find yourselves driving your kids to school. It will get old really fast. I know if my benefits are cut I may not walk out but I guarentee I won’t be doing any extra runs. I’m only contracted for 5 hours and thats all I’m doing.

I believe that all Classified Employees are going to be safe this year. I have done alot of digging, emailing and talking on the phone regarding this issue. While I am not ready to be sure who to believe I would say what the SB wants is a line item budget. Unfortunately the Administration isn’t used to doing things this way, and is unhappy with the process. There is alot of waste in the budget, if the SB is able to eliminate that all employees will be able to keep their benefits and hopefully receive much overdue raises. Again, I would be truly surprised to see any cuts to benefits this year. A word of caution LCPS Employees, attend as many meetings as you can, educate yourselves, and make your ideas and presence known! We may be finally finding our voice! :)

The bus folks who attend to my special needs son are solid gold.  Why should budget cuts be made on their backs, they have one of the most important and difficult jobs around.

Iwould like to let these parents know something about our jobs I’ve been with this LCPS for 37 yrs.the first 8 yrs we did not have any benefits I made $8.00 a day. We went to the country and ask for some benefits,sick leave, health ins.etc our job was to take care of your child first to get them home safe and to school. I’ve laid under a bus putting changes on so we could have school the next day.Iv’e had to walk 2 miles with my Kindergarten on icy to get help because the bus stop runing no radio, to callfor help very little heat you would be so cold. We have a job that a lot of people say to me no way in hell I have your job and they think we are going to work with out benefits I don’t think so.Things are better,but the job that each and everyone takes onis a lot of responsibility and we do it.We have people that have no respect for these buses they run our lights when we are loading or unloading the kids Iam sick of it they don’t care.And they think we have a cushion job come ride with me for just a few hrs.I could tell you a lot more ,but would it make a diffence to some of you negative and nasty people out there our job is just important as your.

B, Styler, I’m beginning to lean in your direction.
I’m also no longer sure that the benefits for classified employees are necessarily in jeopardy. I am also impressed to learn that the SB actually wants to hear from all the employees in an effort to remain fiscally responsible, and take care of all of us. Many more questions to follow…

This is not over, might never be so.  But it seems to have been blown out of proportion.  The SB is on a learning curve and trying to take their fiscal responsibilities seriously.  To do this they have to ask a lot of probing, what-if questions.  The SB is trying to find out how best to focus the maximum resources on schoolroom instruction.  Meanwhile, they are, and always have been, aware of the need for transportation.  The end reality is that the SB is charged with getting the most bang that is possible out of what the Board of Supervisors allocates to LCPS.  This is not a two-day-a-month effort.  Moreover, there are many divergent opinions and competing interests.

There was a meeting at the Purcellville Public Library yesterday with Jill Turgeon. I couldn’t make it, but there was an interesting exchange of concerns and ideas. I sincerely hope that classified employees will get a definite answer on Tuesday night. There are alot of job applications out there, and interviews are being set up. Please resolve this for the employees.

This homeless student is transported to his “home school” to keep some continuity in his life.  The reporter got the times wrong but I am at my bus at 06:30, I pick him up a little before 07:00.  When I started here almost 8 years ago I has students I picked up at 05:55 and transported from Leesburg to Algonkian area.  I do everything I can to make the ride fun for these kids.  They are in shelters and things are being provided for them.  I have another student who I have had the pleasure of watching him grow and reach goals on his IEP since he was 4.  This child is wheelchair bound and will never speak but his eyes answer questions and he lights up and blinks repeatedly when you ask him if he wants to ride the bus with Miss Val!  Things like this remind us all that we do make a difference in their lives on a daily basis.  Could you imagine putting your child on a bus with someone who doesn’t show.compassion or care about your child’s safety and needs, who let’s you know exactly how his trip went.  I have parents who are begging me to come back, I tell them I want to and beg my supervisors to place me with them each year.

Perhaps we should start by reducing the pay of the LCPS school board members.
Thank you to the bus drivers who get my kids to school safely and do a good job.

This sucks for the drivers that have 4 and 5 hour contracts and work 6,7 or more doing what ever they can to help out.

Jill Turgeon is holding a 3 pm meeting to dispel rumors and answer Qeustions. Meeting is at the Purcellville Library. F.Y.I.

The SB has not made any official decision regarding any of this. Although they are scheduled to vote on the proposed budget on Tuesday (this week), they could always continue to make revisions and cuts.  It’s far from over, regardless of what happens on Tuesday.

Regarding claims of no companies offering benefits to part-time employees, it just isn’t true.  Google “part-time jobs that offer benefits” and you’ll find a list of the best.

GK, you and I will never see eye to eye on this - we are looking at the issue from two very different angles.

If LCPS does cut these benefits, and I hope they don’t, we’ll see what happens.  My intuition tells me it’ll be a storm the likes of which I’ve never seen in LoCo, but I acknowledge that I really don’t know everything and I never said I did, for that matter.
One thing is for sure, I’m not going to stop supporting the LCPS employees and the schools.

Just Another, I’ve got your back, and I think everyone feels the same way. I will however pass on the awards, banquets and bus rodeo. Those were a waste of money!

It’s too bad - not only do classified and certified employees alike deal with bad behavior, selfish motives, and disrespect from some students, but also from adults here.

Thank you to all the bus Drivers.  We are often bypassed during Staff appreciation week, we no longer receive safety awards and or service awards.  We don’t even have an award banquet at all anymore. The end of the school year lunch that is given at the transportation dept. is for office staff only.  Despite all this we can still rally together and show that we got each others back

Your right they should not be getting benefits either!

GK, this isn’t the private sector. Why then do board members who have other jobs and only work 2 days a month for the county get full benefits?

Elle I did not mean to spell your name wrong previously, sorry! Your crystal ball has cracks in it. I did not see a ad for bus drivers in the classifieds. I said 32 hours and under is part time the board sees it as 30 hours and under. Even at 30 hours a week or 5 hours a day it come to 1560 hours worked to be full time employee. None of this 180 day 5 hours a day as full time it just does not compute. Any private company would go under if they were forced to pay benefits for part timers. Why is the school system different? You work you get benefits you work part time its sorry charlie.

LET ME SAY IT AGAIN. The board has lowered the minimum to 6 hours! Teachers Assistants ARE SAFE! The rest of us are in jeopardy.

I just want to add to this as a teaching assistant in Loudoun County. I work at an elementary school. I work 187 days a year. I get paid only for the hours I work. I think it works out to something like 6.32 hours a day. The pay is around $14 an hour. Most of us work second or third jobs. Personally, I work my normal day at school and then I go wait tables 3-4 days a week until 10:00 at night only to be up again at 6:00 AM to get ready for school. I babysit and work odd jobs on the weekends, all while going to graduate school. I do this job because I love it and it gets me the experience necessary for my degree in education. Once I finish doing this for the next year and my degree is done, hopefully I can get a teaching job and not have to work so many different jobs. It will still be a lot of hours, but just one job.

Just to clarify—we get paid for the days and hours we work. This is stretched throughout the year, so we do get paid during the summer, but only for the hours we already worked.

If my benefits were to be taken away I don’t know what I would do. My husband works an hourly job at a store with no benefits available. I have a lot of health problems even though I am a young person.

I love my job and I love each and every child I take care of. I don’t take it lightly that parents trust us with their children each and every day. If LCPS wants to continue to hire highly qualified and caring people such as myself, they will need to continue to offer competitive benefits. The pay I get isn’t much…I mostly do what I do for health insurance. I make more in a weekend of waiting tables than I do in my 2-week school paychecks.

Take away my benefits, and I’ll have to go to waiting tables full-time and hope I don’t have to have emergency surgery like I did last year, which would have set me back over $40,000 without insurance. And at that point I was a healthy 23 year old.

These bus drivers, like the LCPS teachers, deal with a lot, including a majority of kids who lack something called “respect.” I have never seen anything like this! Luckily, there are SOME Loudoun kids who know how to behave and show respect, but the others need a lesson on this. Parental role-modeling at its finest. Best wishes to all of the hard-working bus drivers and teachers, because you truly put up with a lot and don’t get shown the appreciation that you ALL deserve!

tired and cheapo - agree with your comments. Apparently some people feel that it isn’t cost effective to offer a competitive compensation package to LCPS bus drivers and other classified employees.

Since GK thinks I’m all-knowing, I’m looking into my crystal ball and seeing that if these employees lose their benefits, they will find that their jobs are not cost effective and they will move on to other jobs.  Problem is LCPS will have to find people willing to fill these low paying jobs and then they’ll have to pay to train them all.

You win GK.  LCPS should cut the benefits for anyone working less than 40 hours/week!!!! (Yep, I’m being sarcastic).

Thanks to Cheapo and Tired. We are too! 25 years of the same benefits may be coming to an end. I have alot more to say, but I’m tired. Cross your fingers for us, and thanks for your support.

To the anti-taxers:

Matthew 17: 24-27,  Matthew 22: 15-22, Romans 13: 1-2, and Romans 13: 5-7

Sad…I bet all the posters who don’t want to pay for “part-timers” insurance and health care HAVE health care and don’t have to worry about it. They probably would also take away all county govt and school employee benefits if they could. Maybe they should drive the kids themselves for free. Lets see how that goes…any takers?

Read “tired of the haters” post. By NOT paying benefits, we are just passing the cost on to ourselves in a different form- less county money and more state, fed, higher health care costs to those who pay…on and on. I think the policy of benefits for those that work those part time hours throughout the county govt as well, not just schools. Plus…dont all you parents want the school bus driver to be able to go (affordability)to the dr so they do not pass staph, mrsa, and who knows what else…to the kids?

South Riding Parent, Bernie Madoff..Enron..Ted Bundy was an Eagle Scout…there’s a bad apple in evey barrel. Non of which should reflect on their respective colleagues.

Benefits for part timers?
Lets say 180 days @ 5 hours a day =‘s 900 hours
      260 days @ 8 hours a day =‘s 2080 hour
So the 5 hour a day person who works 180 days should pay more than twice as much for any benefits!

“$500 with a $100 down payment”  Times must really be hard for LCPS bus drivers… when they’re forced to use the Murder-For-Hire-Economy-Plan. LMFAO!!  X-LCPS bus driver Ann Jenene Cinnamon was probably watching the Board meeting from her jail cell!  So glad my kids didn’t ride HER bus!

the problem with not continuing to provide benefits to people who make little money is this: If benefits are provided, such as medical care, then those employees will USE that benefit…if it is NOT provided then they wait until they are very ill, go to the hospital which they cannot afford and WE the tax payer pay anyway! Hospitals cannot turn people away because they cannot pay so…..we pay, through our tax money AND our higher insurance costs. And since they are ill and cannot work, we have to pay to train another person to do the job, then there is no work available for the ill person and now they are on unemployment or disability and WE pay again…I would rather pay a small amount for preventative care than a huge bill later.

O.K., I figured it out…a bit slow on a Friday! The homeless boy must live in a shelter, or we wouldn’t have a place to pick him up. Ms. Woods as with all drivers is going the extra mile to help him.

SJ-Au, as I mentioned, more info. please. We do pick up homeless students at shelters…in terms of transportation to school, not housing. We will also attempt to transport the child to the school he/she was attending.

Genghis, were you aware that LCPS has always had a $500.00 referral bonus for drivers who refer other folks to become drivers? It’s not happening! I could use a couple of good referral fees! NO ONE will come to work doing any of the jobs in question without the benefits! PERIOD! I wish I had the money to bet you!

I’m confused, what homeless child? Can you give us more details? I do know LCPS probably won’t get involved in that area, but The Dept. of Health or CPS will.

The real story here is the one of the Homeless child.  Has the County or LCPS looked into providing services or temporary shelter for this child and family near a standard LCPS bus stop? Yes the benefits question is important; but not as important as a child’s safety and education. I request the TimesMirror to look into why the LCPS and County services has not undertaken steps to assist this child and others in similar situation.

So the all seeing Elle knows that the people who come to work here if the benefits are taken away are not as capable as the current drivers. Why would the standards be lower. They have to get the same certifications and pass the same tests.
If your hours don’t add up no bennies. Don’t accept the contract offered.

“Simple economics, the more people, the more services are required. It’s really a pipe dream to think taxes are going to go down.”

That is such a flawed statement. The more people who move here, the more real estate tax revenue there is for the county. The cost per household really shouldn’t change (unless you have Democrats calling the shots).

That’s precious cargo, and it was actually started by the Moms! ;)

Would ya’ll stop referring to the kids as “cargo”?

Think of the children!!!!

Elle, glad my poor explanation made sense! Very Proud, great comment! Concerned, Most all of the new runs are coming out at around 4, established runs have been pared down for several reasons: Parents didn’t want their kids on the buses that long, loss of activity and other special runs, and trying to cut expenses. I can remember when you could add an activity, Futura, K-run to your contract and they were up for bid frequently. Those days are long gone, there’s just no way to get extra hours added to your contract. They took away the Cafeteria Monitor program 3 years ago, that was a great way to get some extra hours. What people don’t understand is it’s starting here, but it’s going to work it’s way up the food chain…this isn’t going to stop with us! As for more taxes? They’ll happen with or without us. Even in a depressed economy the county is growing at a startling rate. Simple economics, the more people, the more services are required. It’s really a pipe dream to think taxes are going to go down. Everyone wants something, but doesn’t want to pay for it.

vote these people out:
Can’t wait to do it.

Ironically, we are gearing up for the Super Bowl, which is a millions of dollars extravaganza for what boils down to entertainment.  Our society puts billions of dollars into entertainment, sports, luxery cars, etc, but when it comes to paying people who truly make a difference to society, some scream about it.
The people who choose public education careers, law enforcement, fire and emergency services careers should NOT carry the burden for society by working for below standard compensation and in work environments that do not provide for the safety and security of the employees.
Unfortunately, I think there is a deep-seated bias against these employees that still exists.

West Bus… there is a good possibility! I do have several friends in the West area.  I appreciate your comments as well. I think we would need more data in order to answer the question accurately. I’m not sure how many hours the “average” driver works.

I am a bus driver and have been driving for LCPS for 7 years.  I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to make such wonderful remarks about the bus drivers.  I would also like to state that I know this is scary and very frustrating for all of us….but PLEASE if you work for LCPS….don’t use profanity or voice negative comments on this site.  When you do….you make us all look bad! 

For some of you that think school bus drivers are uneducated people who can’t get a job elsewhere….you are incorrect.  For me personally….I had a job working for a title company as a title agent doing real estate settlements.  And just like me there are a lot of career mom’s that after having children went to work for LCPS so they could have a job, spend time with their children and not have to send them to daycare which many of you may know is extremely expensive in Loudoun County.  I am currently working with bus drivers that drove me to school 25+ years ago….that is dedication that for the most part you don’t find elsewhere. 

I LOVE my job!!!  I look at each and every child on my bus as if they were my own.  My job is to transport your children to and from school safely and I personally take my job very seriously!!!  If your child is on my bus and gets sick….I make sure that child is OK, I get a nurse to meet my bus to ensure that child doesn’t go through the day not feeling well and I clean up whatever mess might of been made on my bus as a result of their illness!!  I do this not only as part of my job…..I do it because I am a mother and would want someone to take care of my children in the same manner!!  I know the name of EVERY child on my bus.  I say good morning to each and every one of them as they get on my bus, have a good day when they get to school and have a good night & see you tomorrow when they go home!!!  You never know what kind of life a child may have…..I may be the first person that some of these kids actually talk to in the morning.  I use my money to buy the children on my bus a goodie bag of fun stuff every year around the holidays…..this year it was reindeer antlers, a slinky, a notepad and a pen…..I do this because I respect them and appreciate their good behavior and positive attitudes!  My kids always ask me before school breaks for summer….“If I will promise to be their bus driver again next year”.....So for some of you who think that bus drivers do nothing more than sit behind the wheel of a bus and drive…...you are VERY WRONG!!!  We transport your precious cargo to and from school and it’s our JOB to make sure they get there safely!!

West End,
Thanks.  So even though you may work Sept - June (for example purposes only), the pay for this 10 month timeframe is divided evenly through the entire year. The county has one-two months of LCPS employees’ pay in it’s coffers earning interest.
It’s nice for budgeting purposed to have the 12 months of pay.  Trade-offs.

The most interesting comment I heard during the public hearing came from the bus driver who asserted that she did not know she was now working for the “LTP” Little Tea Party.

This spectacle of the lowest ranking public school workers potentially being stripped of their benefits - the most important part of their compensation package- in the wealthiest county in the USA is despicable.  It is a microcosm of what has happened all over the country as politicians paid for by the wealthy screw the little guys to the wall.  Pubic workers at all levels (teachers, feds, cops, firemen, bus drivers, etc. etc.) are looked down upon by these people as parasites on society (until of course they need to use their services).

Look out, the backlash is rolling across the country and may just have landed in Loudoun County.  I say to all public employees and those who appreciate what they do for the community to GET OUT AND VOTE in November, this year and every year.  It is the only real power we have against these hateful reactionaries.

Concerned, do I know you? Your writing sounds familiar! lol!!!

Our salary is prorated, that’s why we get paid during the summer. Your contract is your contract…period, weather it be 4 hours or 8. Your benefits are only based on that contract amount. What I’m trying to say (badly) is we really don’t ever make our actual salary amount because of the prorate, if we drive hours over our contract we receive our actual salary amount, but that doesn’t count toward benefits. I really hope this made sense, it’s a weird system.

no problem with the name.  It’s hard to read on the computer.  It only bothered my when GK misspelled it.  : )

Sorry, I misspelled your name Elle.

Hi Again, West End,
Thanks for all your comments, too.
So what I believe you are saying is that your benefits ARE PRORATED and although you may typically work more than your contracted hours, you do not receive additional benefits for the extra hours. So, someone contracted for 6 hours per day may end up working 8 hours a day frequently.  Is that correct?

Dear Ellie, thank you for your support and comments.

We are paid for our “extra” hours, but they are not considered part of our contracted hours.  Also, many drivers work over the summer as well and those hours are also “not contracted hours”.  The special needs area is busy for most of the summer. 

In effect, if they take away the benefits, many of the drivers will lose half of our compensation.  This isn’t a great deal of money especially once our portion of the insurance premiums are paid. I pay a monthly premium of 351.56 for our family of four for health and dental insurance.  When I began working for LCPS, my share of the monthly premium was 263.12.

Well stated Concerned! What Gengis is still missing is that even when we do extra (over and above our contract) it doesn’t count toward benefit eligibility. In other words if we’re contracted for 5 hours, and actually work 8, the last 3 don’t count. We are benefited only at 5.

My point is that the standards will have to be lowered if qualified applicants can not be found who are willing to do this work with no benefits and earning low pay. Why take on all this responsibility and this type of work when you can go work someplace else?

Concerned Driver,
Thank you for adding your comments! You are helping the public see a truer picture of the situation. Hopefully LCPS pays you hourly for additional hours worked. It sounds like even though a driver is contracted for 4-6 hours per day, they may work more like 7-8 day sometimes.

Thanks for your comments! There are alot of misconceptions out there.  It’s good to bring light to the subject.

If you fill in and qualify for full time benefits with full time hours hurrah for you! The warm bodies are governed by the same tests and requirements that you are so a difference I don’t see. Your points do not sway me away from 32 hours and under is part time. Prorated benefits if any is all that should be made available to part time help.

Genghis Khan you have no idea what you’re talking about. Most bus drivers are CONTRACTED between 4 - 6 hours a day, but many of us (yes, I’m a bus driver) work more hours than that during the day.  We fill in and take up the slack when others are absent, we drive field trips, we do safety and bus evacuation drills, have meetings, fuel and maintain our buses and take classes to keep certifications up to date.  These additional things we do are not within our “contracted hours”, but we take pride in what we do and want to make sure our buses are clean and safe and that we’re always prepared and certified to drive. The contracted hours are the actual hours we spend driving the bus and does NOT include the additional duties mentioned above. 

Furthermore, on rare occasion I’ve seen some drivers that don’t really seem to care about the kids.  They drive the bus period.  That is not the kind of individual you want to have driving your children Loudoun.  You want someone who interacts with the students and genuinely cares.  If this change happens, you will indeed have some warm bodies who drive the kids back and forth to school.  However, I believe there will be an increase in incidents and problems on the buses and there will also likely be overcrowding because they will NOT be able to hire enough warm bodies to replace us!

School bus drivers are not just drivers… they are the first and last contact of the day for the students and well trained in CPR, First Aid, and are required to take driver re-certification classes. 

I love my job and take pride in it. I’m also a parent and a taxpayer. I would not have taken this job if it were not for the benefits. The benefits are part of the compensation PACKAGE!!!  I will have no choice but to find employment elsewhere if this change happens. I took this job when my kids were young so that I could take them with me and also spend time over the summer with them.  Now that my kids are older, with my experience and education I could get another job, but I would really miss my kids… I mean students.  :(  If the warm bodies begin driving the students to school, I will likely drive my own kids to school. I think a lot of parents would agree with me.  Can you imagine the traffic problems this may cause?

180 days a year 4 hours a day is part time. If the government can’t say it I can.

From the US Dept of Labor website, regarding employees covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which included teaching assistants, bus drivers, lunch room workers, etc:

How many hours is full-time employment? How many hours is part-time employment?

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not define full-time employment or part-time employment. This is a matter generally to be determined by the employer. Whether an employee is considered full-time or part-time does not change the application of the FLSA.

working parent - you didn’t read what the post said.  They are not asking to be paid for their lunch breaks.  Sheesh - read before you rant.

Full time benefits for part time work if that’s the case throw in full time pay also. Phase the drivers out who now get the extra benefits. New hires if part time get pro-rated benefits per the hours worked. I for one do not want to have my taxes pay health care for a part time employee no matter what their job is. Instead of taxes going up how about a balanced budget with a decrease in taxes. So a person just out of college is not good enough to drive the precious cargo? When does a person become ready to drive a bus? The standards and training seem to be good enough for some but not for others? I guess Ellie can be the new Bus-driver Selector (BS) since she can see into the future and knows we’ll get only warm bodies to drive our kids.

I can’t believe these school district whiners!  Now they want to get paid for their lunch breaks?! WTF! Hey people, get out in the real world of work because NONE of us get paid for our lunch breaks and we don’t get benefits for part time work!  Sheesh, what planet are you people on!?!

Maybe kids today wouldn’t be so FAT if LCPS didn’t feel the need to put a bus stop every 100 meters. Spread the bus stops out a little and make the kids walk to get to them. It’ll be the most exercise they get.

Also, what is all the fuss with bus transportation? Every time I drive by a school I see a huge line of snobby parents who provide their own transporation (have to show off that new leased BMW, huh).

Anyhow Educated, they’ve dropped the minimum to 6 hours, so you’re safe! It’s really the bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and a handful of others who are at risk.

Educated Assistant, in the interest of getting ‘real’ information out to the people please let everyone know you’re insuring your family…not just yourself. Insurance for a couple or single person doesn’t cost that much. I’m not trying to ‘out’ you as it were, but if we want the citizens of Loudoun to understand we have to tell the whole story. ;)

Aldie Resident, Engaging your red lights when you stop to pick up a student is a Federally mandated law…no way around that one. It’s really not the driver being rude, it’s the parent who isn’t getting the student to the bus in a timely manner. All of us have one of those on our bus. The child may be having issues, and the bus stop is the only time parents have to communicate with the driver. Even if you could pass, I strongly urge you not to! It’s a safety hazard, and if there happened to be a Police Officer who saw you the least you’d get would be a day in court for the ticket he wrote you, and the most would be a suspended license…running red lights is a reckless driving offense. Save yourself the aggravation, leave 5 minutes earlier or later! ;)

I have worked as a teacher assistant for 9 years.  I would like to point out that my benefits cost me $351.56/month.  I get paid for 6 hours and 50 minutes per day (34.2 hrs/week) even though I’m at work 7.5 hours a day (which is 37.5 hrs/week).  Teacher assistants do NOT get paid for the 1/2 hour of lunch they are supposed to get so that’s how they’ll get us to fall into the under 7 hrs./day category.  The teachers DO get paid for their lunch times, but not the assistants.  I see teachers leave the school before some assistants do… but the teachers will be safe from this demoralizing travesty.  Most of the teacher assistants are educated with college degrees but took the job so they could be available to their own school age children during summers and semester breaks… and NO the assistants do not get paid for those times we are not working.  We only get paid for the 187 days that we work.

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I think attendants are only on special needs/handicapped busses, NOT the regular education busses.

I agree with “Fox” regarding discourteous bus drivers.  I am a commuter and resident of Aldie. I’ve been following this story with interest and would like to add something.  I’ve previously had the misfortune of following a particular LCPS bus every morning on New Road in Aldie.  Every morning the driver would stop at the last farm just before Rt 15 and hold up traffic with their red lights on.  This is while the kid’s parent take their sweet time driving down the driveway with the kid.  The kid then has to spend a few more minutes gathering up all of his posessions in the car, then eventually makes his way to the bus.  All the while the line of traffic is getting longer.  To make matters worse, the driver would then allow the parent to approach the driver’s window and engage in conversation.  This is all done with red lights flashing.  Unfortunately, New Road is an extremely narrow dirt road and there is no room to navigate around the bus.  My opinion is that the bus should NOT have red lights on until the parent has at keast reached the end of the driveway. Having them on long before the car even arrives at the end of the driveway is just plain stupid.  The child should have all of his schoolwork and other items ready to exit the car and proceed to the bus.  The bus driver should not hold up traffic carrying on chit chat with the parent like they are old drinking buddies!  This driver appears to be one who lacks common sense and courtesy.  Thank you for allowing me to vent.

Fox, only Special Needs buses have attendants…no worries there! They really aren’t brats, if you pick and choose your battles, and are consistant…honest! When I was a kid the driver could kick you off the bus…wherever. That’s not P.C. anymore. Thanks for your support regarding vested employees, that’s how we feel. Then you can decide if this is something you really want to do. I have to go to bed, 4 am gets here pretty quickly, hope I’ve answered your questions! Oh, if you feel a driver is unsafe call transportation! It’s your right.

@Fox Regarding your comment about almost getting run off the road by one of our busses.  I’m an LCPS employee in the Transportation Dept.  Altough no longer a bus driver, I can tell you that your close encounter was probably with that of one of our prima donna Field Trip drivers.  They are apparently allowed to exceed every rule we have from A-Z.  Including, but not limited to speeding and aggressive driving.  Depending who they are, decides what rules they must adhere to.  (One of them recently smashed up a new bus in the Tuscarora parking lot and it was swept under the rug as usual) In any event, too bad you didn’t get the bus number (not that it would have done any good - depending upon who was driving) you could have call it in to personnel and filed a formal complaint.

Gengis, OK, wow, you really didn’t read my post but you had alot to say about me personally.

I AM NOT A BUS DRIVER. THE PRICELESS TREASURE I SPOKE OF IS EVERY LOUDOUN STUDENT, WHO DESERVES TO BE DELIVERED TO SCHOOL AND HOME EVERYDAY BY THE BEST POSSIBLE DRIVERS WE CAN GET.

WE ARE NOT LIVING IN A BUBBLE.  LCPS MUST OFFER COMPETITIVE PAY AND BENEFITS IN ORDER TO ATTRACT QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES. I DON’T WANT TO SEE ANY WARM BODY THEY CAN FIND DRIVING THE BUSES. THIS IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF LCPS IS NOT COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKET.

I AM A TAXPAYER, TOO, AND I ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE SERVICES SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR THEIR WORK.

Wow, what an assortment of comments!  So let me add my $0.02 worth.  You could not PAY me to be a school bus driver because I cringe at the thought of driving a huge vehicle full of brats, in rush-hour traffic.  My thing is this:  if they were hired with the expectation that they would receive certain benefits, then let them keep them.  Period.  These cuts could start with future bus drivers.
What’s up with needing bus driver attendants?  I can understand the necessity for having them on board buses that transport children with special needs.  But on all the buses?  Really?  Why can’t they just kick the kids off the bus and let mommy or daddy drive them back and forth until they learn to behave themselves.
I smiled at the suggestion of cutting Dr. Hatrick’s salary, which I feel is absolutely OBSCENE, because of the comment that he just sits there.  Well, don’t forget that he DOES do more than just sit at a desk.  Has everybody forgotten all the trips overseas, at taxpayer expense?  Ever hear of a boondoggle?
Better finish this up before I get myself in trouble.  However, I could NOT stop before adding one final comment.  I’ve lived in Loudoun County 35 years, and had the pleasure of driving in rush-hour traffic during that time.  It’s been my observation on many, many, MANY occasions that a lot of busdrivers do not know what a STOP sign is!  I had a close call on Riverside Parkway recently, when a bus driver pulled out in front of me, even though I had the right of way.  Or, at least I THOUGHT that I did.  She almost ran me off the road, and honking the horn did no good. She never even looked in my direction.  Guess when you have a big vehicle like that, you can pretty much do what you want to, and the heck with anyone driving a passenger car, huh?  But it was much worse when I lived in western Loudoun.  One driver, in particular, would stop at almost every house on the two-lane road, which meant of course that everybody behind them had to stop, too, because that’s a no-brainer, plus a state law.  However, to add insult to injury, the driver of the bus would allow the spoiled kids’s parents to just pull out ahead of the bus, because apparently, the parents were more important and deserved special treatment.  Where are the deputies when you need them?  If they can’t drive properly then take their jobs from them.

Genghis, with or without us your taxes are going to go up, or you’ll be charged in another way. Loudoun County added 12,000 new residents in 2011. These people probably have kids…I don’t have the stats. No one wants overcrowded schools, or long bus rides. Everyone wants cutting edge technology. The problem arises when no one wants to pay for it. As I mentioned earlier, it’s a pay now, or pay later proposition. Funny thing is I remember My folks moaning about the same thing…nothing is new under the sun. And it’s true, the two things you can count on are death and taxes. I’m 50, so this stuff has been around for a while! ;)

Everyone is somebodys priceless treasure wouldn’t you say Ellie. I don’t care if you are covered by insurance I care that our tax dollars are being doled out to people who do not work full time. Full time job equals full time bennies. 32 and under does not meet the criteria in a normal job atmosphere. Your kids should be affored the same care as anyone else nothing more.

East Driver, I’m in the same boat, and am very concerned about the vote on Tuesday, but I have to ask….why would having a board member ride your bus help them change their mind?

Is it possible for each board member to ride on a bus for a week before making any decisions?  That should end the problem once and for all!

@Tahoe   exactly!  A lot of the “haters” here are probably the same ones who run our red lights and endanger the lives of the children we transport to school.  I’m sure if someone in THEIR family drove a bus for a living, they would be more supportive and understand why we are so upset.  The general public has a bad habit of trying to rant about a subject to which they are factually challenged.  They should practice opening their mouth BEFORE inserting foot! LOL

Thanks Wasabi, just trying to get the facts out. There is way too much misinformation and assumption. I just drive my bus, and have a little P/T side job to help with the bills..and keep busy. :)

Most if you people do not know what we bus drivers and attendants go through day in and day out. we deal with it all and it is not just about driving them to school. we are there to make sure they get to school and home safe. you haters need to know that if we do walk out it is to take a stand to show the school broad that we are not going to let them take away the benefits that we all need to take care of our children and other family members as well as are self. so I am asking you to stop being so mean. As for the teachers aids and special need teachers my son is a special needs child with A IEP in the school system and IF it we not foe his special needs teacher he would not be were he is today. so think about what we deal with and think about the stress we have before you go and say nasty things about us. give us a break and blame the county for money spent on stuff they do not to to spend it on and we would not have this problem, and tell the to get rid of the attendants do not do there job and how can not be at work on time.

Thank you and thank you for the research. If 1/2 the parents would pay their share we could save 960,000.00 a month. I don’t know who else West bus works for but she’s wonderful!

I called Admin. in Ashburn and spoke to the Information Office. The Chairman of the Board earns 22k, and the other members earn 20k. As I mentioned before all may receive benefits if they desire. Any questions you have can usually be answered by speaking to The Information Office, since it’s all public record.

I can’t speak to salary for the Board Members, but I do know they as PART TIME employees may receive our benefits, if they desire. They all have other jobs with benefits as well. The protocol is if one is eligible, all must be.

lol ditto on the crap attendents! i think they tell them in trainingit is mandatory to sleepand know how to text. My friend says her attenednt does it alot. LOL!

I’d be curious to know how much the board memebers make and if they are offered benefits as well?

$$$ to burn, we do receive performance reviews, and there are people who don’t get the raises as a result. Some are also terminated because of their inability to correct the problems…much the same as any office or business is run. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that everyone who works in the LCPS Family is a stellar or even good employee…I’d be lying. The fact remains the majority of us truly are, and really do care. Then again, isn’t that the way it works in any business or company? Don’t you have a co-worker who never seems to pull their weight? I worked in the private sector ‘real job’ arena for 30 years before deciding to drive a bus, there were always a handful of people who avoided work like the plague! ;)

@ West bus
When I said $45 k I was referrng to the teachers who where complaining in the blogs that it was “not possible” to live on that sort of pauper’s wage. you proved my point quite well.

@Elle
If you are contractually obligated to pay the same wage scale to everyone, how do you know you will only hire “the best?”  and what do you do when you have someone who is not “the best.”

Loudoun has some great teachers and soem great bus drivers.  Loudoun also has some not-so-great teachers and not-so-great bus drivers.  There should be some way to differentiate and reward these excellent employees.  And some way to fix the latter.  That would be the the most efficient way, not simply by ratcheting up wages and benefits above market rates to attract “the best.”  I guess its an unfamiliar argument within the public sector.

I did some investigating and discovered that there are school districts out there who are charging parents for school bus service. The Keller area of Dallas charges $185 a semester, 135 for the second child, and 100 for children who receive free lunch. Central Indiana (Franklin Township charges $475 a year, and $405 for each additional child. Paso Robles CA. has round trip and one way rates. Respectively, they are: $180/$90 for the first child. $120/$60 for the second, and $60/$30 for the third. They do give you a break if you have 4 or more though, as they get to ride free. Be careful what you wish for. It’s a pay it now, or pay it later kindof thing.

Hamilton, LMFAO…yeah, right.  LCPS keeps the crappy employees because they are so hard up for help!  Contrary to the popular belief of the general public, no one is beating the doors down to obtain a job as a bus driver or an attendant.  Personally, I know 5 special needs west and out of county drivers who have - or have had - attendants who should have been fired a loooong time ago.

@Hamilton   Well said!!  That would be a great starting place to save $$$.  Some of the attendants have been getting away with this for too long.  Maybe someday the appropriate personnel will get a clue!

Loudoun got money to burn, et all who are demeaning the LCPS employees:
You make it sound like the LCPS employees are somehow stealing from taxpayers because they are paid for their work! Wake up people - even people who work for the public school or the county government must be paid for their work! Pay and benefits are driven by economic indicators.  We don’t live in a bubble here.  Any employer who wants to attract and retain the best possible employees (which in itself is efficient) has to offer competitive salary and benefit packages. The other counties in the DC metro area offer similar packages, Loudoun must compete with this.

Why do I want the best possible person transporting my children and your children to school? Because our children are precious, priceless treasures. If you can’t see that we must provide for best practices in ensuring the safety of our children, I feel very sorry for you. Offer below market pay and benefits and you will not attract the best for the job.

Some here have stated that the classified jobs are low skill jobs. Not true. You are showing your ignorance. But, that is a huge factor in this latest storm.  Many people have negative opinions and they only have a PART of the picture. In addition to the skills and training necessary to do the jobs, the positions have a variety of environmental and emotional issues that cause wear and tear on the employees’ health and well being.

Oops, it was $$$ to burn…my bad!

West bus, I said nothing in relation to 45k. Look at the comments again it wasn’t I.

Wasabi, my math is correct, that’s what I live on. I don’t know where you’re getting the 45k figure, since none of us make that kind of money. It really is possible to live on 20k, and own a home. It’s not always the easiest thing to do, but I’m living proof it can be done.

A small, but excellent way to save the County Taxpayer’s money, is for the LCPS Transportation Dept. to start elimminating/firing many of the current attendants on their Special Needs busses.  A typical day for one of these losers, basically consists of continious napping/sleeping and marathon cell phone usage. (texting and talking) The County Taxpayer’s are paying these idiots to STAY AWAKE and OFF THEIR DAMN PHONES!!!  The Special Needs children of Loudoun County deserve better than this!  These people are NOT focused on the children entrusted to their care, when they are preoccupied by their phones and by sleeping!!  The worst part is, is that the appropriate Supervisory personnel KNOW EXACTLY who these worthless employees are.  However, Leads and Supervisors continue to support the bad behavior of these attendants, by (always) turning a blind eye when the aforementioned behavior is brought to their attention.  So, naturally, these employees have nothing to fear. There are no repercussions severe enough to scare any of them into giving LCPS and the County’s special needs children, a decent, and appropriate, day’s work. The majority of my constituents think it couldn’t hurt to do a bit of “house-cleaning” in the “Lead/Supervisory” department as well.

Definitely with the bus drivers on this one… keep talking, Tula.  Your message is excellent.

@West Bus

I think you need to check your math. There are a dozen posts from LCPS employees who emphatically and categorically state that it is not possible to live on $45,000 a year. ( And the taxpayers are probably paying their mortgages)

Let the bus drivers work in the janitioral part of maintenance for the school so they could qualify for full time benifits. Prorated benifits for hours worked makes sense to me. Also I want West Bus inmy procurement department she knows how to account for money and not overpay for services.

Here I am again, but need to respond to waya. Waya, I do live on this wage, I’m single and pay a mortgage and bills, just like you do! I make 15k driving a bus and about 5k at a second job. Let me break my ‘small’ annual budget down for you 5k mtg., yes I really own a house (not in un Loudoun), 5k bills, 5k gas and auto expenses, 5k food and other expenses like fun once in a while. You’re thinking what a dump her house must be? Actually it’s a cute little rancher I bought in foreclosure…with an inground pool. My mtg. payment is $421 a month. I couldn’t rent anywhere for that kind of money! Please don’t tell us we aren’t intelligent and creative! How many people do you know who could pull this off by themselves? This is not a scam, and I know several other bus drivers who do the same thing. I believe it’s called living within your means.

And apparently I can’t spell early in the morning! Sorry! Eh, someone will take a swipe at that too. Have a great day drivers…be safe out there!

Drivers, please refrain from posting inflammatory comments, and using foul language here. I realize this is an emotionally charged issue, BUT we drivers really do have more support than some of you realize! I know all of my parents are behind me, the teachers, administration, out supervisors, and LEA. Don’t let a few negative folks get under your skin! Remember, negativity breads negativity…that’s not what we want, and I know that’s not what we teach out kids on the bus! Thanks. :)

I was a LCPS teacher for 3 years and have been a bus driver for 27 years—neither job is easy!
Imagine managing the behavior of up to 72 elementary children while operating a large vehicle in today’s Loudoun traffic, which includes a lot of inconsiderate drivers when it comes to school buses. We have to be extremely alert to what is going on inside and outside the bus at all times. 

It’s a good thing we have medical benefits, which for those who don’t know we pay a good monthly premium for.  During a four year period of driving a difficult neighborhood I developed high blood pressure;  I have significant hearing loss due to the many years of loud noise exposure; my hands hurt while driving only during the school year; I’ve had back problems from driving washboard dirt roads everyday for which I’ve had to get treated many times through the years (thank God they finally paved Sycolin and the new buses have air seats.) and my neck hurts daily from an incident with a special ed student who had a meltdown on the bus, grabbed me by my hair and jerked my neck 9 months ago.

Our job takes a lot of patience, dedication and ongoing training.  If we screw up on the job, children can get hurt.

And for those who think bus drivers are a bunch of ignorant people, there are a lot of us who do have college degrees but have chosen driving a school bus as our career for special reasons—my reason was because both my boys were severe asthmatics and sick so often that I was unable to work a full time job and take care of them too.  When they finally outgrew most of their problems as teens, I took on driving special ed full time rather than return to teaching.

We also have A LOT of baby boomer professionals who have lost their jobs and are now driving for the benefits while making ends meet working at home part time using their professional skills or part time in other jobs.  For example I myself am a graphic artist doing work on the side for a couple of baby boomer bus drivers and attendants who do web design at home between bus runs.  Isn’t that better than drawing months and even years of unemployment while trying to find a job in their previous field? 

I think if the LCPS higher ups were smart they would have lots of meetings with those of us who know where the waste really is and find some better solutions, rather than to cut our benefits.  I think most of us would be more than willing to help them do that, after all WE bus drivers, teachers, cafeteria workers and all the others see the waste that they don’t!

Bus drivers unite!  Let’s watch the Loudoun citizenry try to survive without our steering wheel holding skills.  Civilization will collapse without us.

I am sickend on all these negitive comments that are being made on this sight. I am a bus driver and have been with the County for 14 years 4 of my children have gone/going throught the School system and all of them have/do ride the bus, and some of you want to let young adults or teens drive the kids if the drivers walk? What is wrong with you people have you seen how some of the young adults and teens drive? Your CRAZY they run me off the road now and I am in a BUS!  Aparentley you do not have any children at all or no common sence or maybe just don’t care about children.  Whatever your problem is. I know everyone of the kids names and thier parents on my bus and take great pride in driving them.  The public runs my lights all the time, passes me on double yellow lines without event thinking of the potential danger they are causing.
I am contracted for 5 hours a day on my bus I am at my bus a 6:30 am and dont get off till 9am and then go to another department (with in LCPS) and work another 4 to 5 hours come back to my bus at 2pm and get called to go cover another run before my HS run then go and do that and get done at 5pm and you say because I am contracted less then 7 hrs I cant have my benifits?  What is wrong with this system. I work another job after I get off at 5pm 3 to 4 times a week and on the weekends, but you still want to take my benifits away. I would challange anyone of you that are all for getting our benifts taken away to come walk in my shoes for 1 day and see what I go through and doubt if you could do it.
When I went to school I had to walk across 2 busy 4 lane roads in 1st grade. Sure kids can walk and that would cut down some of the cost but what about the kids in Lovettsville or Waterford thier are no sidewalks in town I wouldn’t want a child to be walking to school there they already have people who go flying down the main road in town.  And who is going to train the new drivers if you cut thier benifits. Most of the trainers that I know are only contrated for their bus routs.

Why is everyone getting worked up over the cost savings from 450 bus drivers and attendants? The biggest amount of money on this cut would have come from the 1400 teachers and assistance. I really think people need to look at the over all cost of what this attack on our bus drivers will cost.? If the entire package is not accepted it will not save any money. Think people.

Has anyone considered taking the school bus operation out of the LCPS realm altogether and making it a separate adjunct of the Loudoun County Transit Service serving the students ?  Seems like there would be opportunities to use folks with the same skills set when needed across a single public transportation system and not have to pay full time benefits for part time work.  Economies of scale could also be realized in the areas of administration and maintenance.

As a LCPS bus driver, I would like to inform some of you people complaining about our benefits, we do pay for them. The county gets our group ins. and we pay for it, the cost depends on how many are insured.  Don’t for one minute this is free to us, because it isn’t.

What is wrong with the world? Do you people understand that these are the very individuals that are transporting our CHILDREN to school safely everyday?  The amount of disgusting comments on here are an embarrassment.  I appreciate every single driver in this county.  Please know that there is a community out here that IS supporting you and that does appreciate you.  Some of these posters should be ashamed of themselves.

I respect bus drivers immensely; it’s only the anti-anything-education people who post mean statements.  LCPS employees contribute to health care costs.  Watch out for the “trolls” on these threads that love to incite and upset.  Pay them no mind.

Why don’t we stop printing everything in Spanish. If we only printed in English our language we would save a ton on paper and ink. Also go to all email or only send papers home with the youngest child at the school. I get so many extra papers home. That has to cut out something

Thank you! You made my day Elle! :)

West Bus,
You are wonderful!! Thank you for all you do for the children (and their pets) on your bus runs.  I, too, am saddened by many of these comments. Please know that not all Loudoun residents agree with the negativity and dismissiveness shown in some comments.

Every Bus Driver who uses the health care benefits pays an employee contribution…it’s not free to us. The cost varies depending on the number of people on the policy.

Oops, I reposted my comment, since it didn’t appear after I submitted it the first time. Sorry about the redundancy! :)

I have been a dedicated LCPS Bus Driver in Western Loudoun for 6 years, and am saddened by many of the comments I’ve read here. I don’t live in Loudoun because I can’t afford to, I did go to college, and I also believe in teaching the children who ride my bus something as we ride. I teach patience, tolerance, cooperation and civility. I also (at my own expence) dress up for Halloween and give my Elementary School kids Christmas gifts when I can afford it. Many of my parents walk their children to the bus stop with the family dog, I have a box of Milk Bones for those visitors as well. I buy each of my elementary School kids a bottle of bubbles on the last day of school, for that final lap around the bus loop. I have an outstanding relationship with my parents and school administrators, who are always ready to support me in helping to make my kids experience on the bus a happy and safe place to be. I also work a second job in between my AM and PM runs to supplement my income. There are only so many hours in the day to get everyone to school on time, we would work more hours if they were there. My day begins at 7 and ends at 5, that’s on the bus, then run to my second job, then run back to the bus. There are no breaks, not time to sit and check email…nothing. But I know every childs name, parents name, pets name, and happily listen to the events of the day. When these children are on my bus they are ‘my’ kids, and my parents know and appreciate that. Maybe some of you could STOP RUNNING MY RED LIGHTS so I wouldn’t have to worry so much! I am only asking to keep my benefits, so that I can maintain some quality of life regarding health issues.

Loudoun Got $$$$ to Burn - spot on.

I will add it’s tyical budget process to start with everything you want and then make “cuts” to make everyone think you are sacrificing.  Happens in government, private industry, etc.

You definitely have the way Hatrick does it down laid out perfectly!

Loudouner - the taxes pt. is a moot one, b/c if they suddenly lose their health insurance they will have to run to the county for assistance.  Who do you think pays for that?  And this big misconception that many of you have about these workers having free insurance is ridiculous. THey pay premiums every month for that, it’s not free on their parts.

Just wondering, what is the dollar value of these benefits?

Remain Calm Everyone!

This all part of the LCPS very effective public relations master plan. First, ask for a huge increase in the budget.  Threaten that we will never be able to recruit another public school employee or get our kids to school ever again unless the budget is “fully funded”. (Whatever that means)  Next, propose cuts to the budget that will necessitate cutting such frivolities as Math, English and History. (But spare Mandarin Chinese in the elementary schools)  Step three is to wait for public outrage to die down and then propose an increase of “only” 4 or 5% instead of 10 or 11 % and send out a press release that highlights the “sacrifices” made by the LCPS while warning that if the B o S continues to shortchange education that our schools will fall apart and our kids will all be forever dumb.  Better yet, make a video. Remember, it’s all about THE CHILDREN, not the education machine that consumes 80% of the Loudoun County’s revenue every year.  Conveniently argue that, while LoCo has the highest property taxes in the Commonwealth, high taxes will have no effect on our ability to attract and retain a commercial property tax base and new businesses.  Taxes should be immediately raised to provide the Kingdom of Loudoun School System with whatever they need because it’s for THE CHILDREN.    Make a promise to review the budget line by line to identify and wring out any fat in the budget.  At the end of the year, announce another increase in test scores, the construction of 5 new schools (including the first $100 mm high school in the history of LoCo) and a $20 mm budget surplus.  The most important part of the whole plan, however, is the spend the remaining funds on electronic whiteboards, iPads or junkets to China BEFORE the Board of Supervisors finds out about the surplus by reading about it in the newspaper.  Articulate that a “lack of trust” between the Board and the Hatrick Administration resulted in the lack of honesty about the budget surplus.  (DO NOT admit that the budget had some “padding” built into it)

In the end, we will continue to increase the LCPS budget by 2 or 3 times the rate of inflation (after adjusting for over-estimated increases in enrollment), the kids will continue to go to gold-plated schools, closing the smallest, most inefficient schools will be “off the table”,  English and math will remain part of the curriculum, the land acquisition process will remain done behind closed doors, the bus drivers will continue to drive the buses and Superintendent Hatrick will make yet another junket to a far-off land to observe how they teach their kids and impart this new-found wisdom on the school system.

But remember, no one in the real world (private sector) gets paid benefits for part time jobs, school bus drivers do not drive in the snow and ice (heck, schools are closed by the FORECAST of snow or ice), school employees will remain fairly paid in return for a contractual 7 hour day 197 days a year with full retirement benefits after 25 years.  We will continue to build schools because it not real money if it gets bonded.  Sounds like a square deal to me. We must remain calm.

We’ve read the LCPS budget battle book before and we know how it ends.

As a dedicated bus driver of 6 years for LCPS I am saddened by many of the comments I’ve read here. I will speak on my behalf and for the fantastic drivers in Western Loudoun. I personally know all of my children’s names, parents names (first), pets names, siblings names. I dress up for Halloween at my own expense because my little kids get a kick out of it. When I can afford it I give all of my elementary kids Christmas gifts. I help with homework, and teach all of my kids cooperation, teamwork and courtesy. I keep Milk Bones on the bus for the dogs who come to the bus stop with the parents. If I run out the parents take turns picking up a new box. I have an excellent working relationship with my parents and students and watched as they’ve grown up with me. I buy my elementary school kids bubbles on the last day of school, for that final circle around the bus loop. All of these extras come out of my pocket, and that’s fine with me…the joy and laughter is well worth it. Each and every one of my students is very special and important to me. I also have about 30 kids with medical issues between my high school and elementary runs, that I have to be able to deal with at a moments notice. It’s nice when my parents tell me what a great job I’m doing, or wish I could still drive their kids who have moved on to middle school. I/We also have the support of our Principals and Assistant Principals, which makes each students experience a better one. I’m sorry many of you don’t like us, but I can tell you I haven’t met a Western Driver who hasn’t said “when these kids are on my bus they’re mine”. We treat each of them that way, and most of our parents know that. Perhaps some of you could make our cushy jobs a bit easier, AND STOP RUNNING OUR RED LIGHTS! I don’t want to see or be a part of watching a child get hit. I also work a second job in between my AM and PM runs, and on the weekend. I don’t live in Loudoun County because I can’t afford to. There are only so many hours in a day kids can be transported to school, and we work every one of them.

Why is everyone crying?  They’ll all get FREE healthcare from Obama in 2014.  I’m sure these drivers where the same ones that voted for BHO in 2008.  How’s the Hope and Change working now?

@Where_did_we_go_wrong….  what planet are YOU from??  The reason these benefits are in place for the 3-6 hour positions, is because that is the only way these position can be filled!! When was the last time you saw a college graduate driving a school bus??  Most of them can’t spell, add or subtract without the aid of an iphone.  Extremely doubtful any of them (or YOU for that matter) would be capable of passing the required tests to be a bus driver (FBI background, DMV-CDL or DRUG test.  Quit your bitchin’ about something you have no clue about.  You and your fellow whiners on here are probably the same morons who run our red lights on a daily basis.

Id much rather see the drivers we have now and have them keep the benefits they’ve had now for how many years Thomas the Paine in the ass? Do you think they just started getting these because of the last board? NO!!!  Would you rather all the dam latinos who are already recieving assistance from us now be driving the buses and still get this assistance too? Because at 3.5 hours a day they will stilll qualify for it! How would you like it if your kids bus driver doesnt know a lick of effing english!!! You moron and the rest of you EFFING MORONS for this this!!! YOU are whats wrong with this country now!!! JUST HAND IT ALL OVER TO THE GOD DAM ILLEGALS TO SAVE A EFFING DOLLAR. SCREW YOU!!!!!

We already have the highest real estate tax rates in the state. These people can pay for their own benefits like the rest of us!

R - So I am supposed to pay more taxes so you and your family can have health insurance?  That money could be used to buy food for my children.  Do you want my kids to go hungry?  Are you for hungry kids…so heartless.

R, no one working 3-5 hours a day is living on that salary. These people obviously have other income or another worker in the home.  I bet most already have health insurance (or it is available) via their spouse or significant other. Its a scam.  The new Board needs to cut this sort of waste.

I work full time for a large corporation in Loudoun, making $18 per hour. I pay $75 per week for health insurance for myself and one dependent (do the math and see what I bring home).  I feel lucky.  The part timers get nothing but their hourly pay.  My taxes are killing us and I refuse to pay anyone working 3 hours a day full benefits!  That is the most insane thing I’ve ever heard and it needs to stop!

So easy for some of you to be keyboard kommandos to wish on these people that they and their children (which number in the 1000s) to lose their health insurance all of a sudden.  What great human beings you are!

Under the law, the school is not required to provide transportation, only to disabled students.  Bus transportation is an absolute luxury.  My kid’s bus driver spend a lot of time talking on the cell phone and gossiping with the students. This is another area in desperate need of an overhaul.

This is a great idea and a terrific way to reduce LCPS costs.  Way to go school board, please implement right away.  Apparently the previous “tax and spend” school board was mistaken when they said year after year the only option was to raise taxes over and over.

Who do these drivers think they are anyway? Illegals?

Since they started mixing middle school and high school kids, my kids stopped riding the bus.  There is no discipline on these buses and when there is it is often misplaced.  This is not the culture I want my kids exposed to.  I say do away with the whole bus program or privatize it and make it fee based with a subsidy for poor children.  We have enough of these low skilled overpaid jobs in government, we don’t need these.

To the Career Bus Driver, Professional Cafeteria Worker,Honored Bus Attendant,and Expert Teaching Assistant: If you took the job for the benefits, don’t be so surprised when you lose your job because of the cost of those same benefits.

No doubt all these workers are valued employees and well deserving of a competitive wage. However, the stated motivation that attracted many to these jobs is the notion of receiving full health and retirement benefits. These are not career positions like our teachers and principals who deserve good pay and benefits befitting their career. The idea that the person who checks my ID at the door and directs me to whatever office I need to attend is receiving health benefits for doing this job a few hours of the day is just plain out of step with the realities of the times.

“The positions that range from 3.5 hours to 6.84 hours and would be affected include 402 bus drivers, 50 bus attendants, 1,136 teaching assistants, 72 teachers, 183 cafeteria workers and 21 other varying positions.”

I am a LCPS school bus driver and have been for 7 years. I am contracted at and actually work 4.5 hours a day which is 22.5 hours a week.  My W2 for 2011 says I made a little over 11K last year. Now with all of this information about me….if the School Board takes my benefits away…..how will I be able to afford health insurance for myself and my family.  My son has asthma and I had cancer…so with these pre existing conditions I would be really lucky to even find an insurance company that would insure me let alone be able to afford the cost of it.
A few years ago there was a possible case of whopping cough on my bus….the health department called me while I was sitting at one of my schools waiting for the children to come out and informed me of this and because my own 2 children had some symptoms that they had possible contracted this illness from a student that rode my bus….I had to leave my bus immediately, get a ride home from one of my lead drivers, quarantine my children, not work and use my own personal leave for the remained of that week.  ALOT of you may think that the job of a school bus driver is a “qushy” job….but it isn’t…..there are risks to us and our families.  Why should the School Board be able to take our benefits away when we work every day….rain, snow, ice, or sunshine driving Loudoun’s children to school and make ALOT less money doing it. 
I love my job…..I love the children on my bus and I love their parents.  I have my CDL, I attend my 4 in-service meetings every year, I get recertified every 2 years in CPR and every 3 years in First Aid, every 5 years I get recertified in all of my modules and I have to pass a physical every year….which I might add I do with flying colors!! 
I grew up in Loudoun County…..I have lived here for 41 years and graduated from Loudoun County High School…..some of my bus drivers from 25+ years ago are still driving today…..Please tell me where on earth you find this type of dedication!!!  I currently have 3 children that attend LCPS….Round Hill Elementary & Woodgrove High School are awesome school’s with wonderful teachers, teacher assistants, cafeteria works and other staff….they too should not have to have their lives turned upside down by having their benefits taken away. 
I encourage the School Board to find other alternatives to balance the budget….how about going back to a good ole fashion chalk board, chalk and erasers…..that would save thousands of dollars right there and instead of putting these new time clock units on our buses…..let’s just keep doing what we have been doing…..filling out a time sheet and turning it in once a week…..if it isn’t broken….let’s not try and fix it

Hey Custer you sure talk alot of Sitting Bull

So Fed up you are a classic example of why we don’t let brothers and sisters routinely have babies.  Here you are a ignorant NOVA hick and you are going to tell us how to operate a scholl district.  Heck a water hose is a challenge for you. Stick to your day job at the door at Walmart.

Wonderful Loudoun County Voter! You elected these idiots to the board- I still want to know why an attorney represents Algonkian district instead of a teacher, but the very elite of Algonkian spoke and they can well pay for their darlings to attend private schools. Anyway the point is, this is what will happen not just with the school board but the BOS too!.Glad I’m getting out of here!

I have multiple friends that work for LCPS as drivers, attendants, aids, and teachers. Most of them work for the benefits because the self employed market for Health Insurance is expensive.  The cost of a family plan that isn’t half as nice as what County employees get can cost more then $1000.00 a month.  So if you want your child to ride a bus or go to school with an adult that doesn’t have Insurance then this is a good idea, because with what they make how could they afford to pay for this.  I mean if they take away everything including paid sick days with no health insurance, I know if I were in there shoes I’d be forced to go to work sick.  Do you really want a driver that is ill driving your child to school, that’s like saying have a beer before you get to work.  It’s not their fault they don’t get that many hours I know all my friends would like more hours.  I mean you get to work by 6am work til 8am or 9am. Then you have to find somewhere to go for 1 hour or 2, come back for a mid day run that maybe is 1 hour if your lucky to get that extra hour and then have to find something to do again before you have to be back for the afternoon and work again for 1-3 hours.  These employees are actually at work from 6am to 5pm maybe later and it’s not their fault they don’t work the whole time. At least they don’t get paid for all that time but in my opinion it would be fair.  Don’t think oh there’s plenty for them to do or they could get a job in between their runs.  There’s only so many things around to do and who would hire them for an hour or two worth of work here and there.  I think all of you are lucky to have people that take care of your children and treat them like their own.  Do you really think they will be that easy to replace?

teacher assistants work FULL TIME! For example, elementary school begins at 7.30 which means staff needs to be ready at 7.30 to greet students. If I as an assistant am just getting to work then, I do not have time to prepare for the day. I would arrive at work no later than 7.15 every day to prepare but NOT get paid for it. As for dismissal, that is 2.50 BUT one cannot always leave at 2.50..if there are students that you are attending to you need to stay until they leave, most days it was after 3 that I would leave. So, technically I worked nearly 8 hours a day…and yea, most days I worked through lunch! But only got paid for 6.8 something…and I often took work home, much like the certified teachers. Yet, If I used the LCPS benefits for me and my family…I would be close to OWING the school system..how sad. Honestly, you get what you pay for and if there are no benefits for certified employees don’t complain about the services your children are receiving.

Ok !! Let anyone drive YOUR CHILDRENS buses NO CERTIFATIONS, NO CDL REQD NO STATE REQUIREMENTS, NO PYSHICALS NO DRUG / ALCH TEST!!! Switch blades, Vomit,coughing,crying, sneezing, nose bleeds, diaherra, back talk, rude, fist fights, drugs, sex, dealing drugs,  the list goes on and on !!! Oh broke down buses, not heat, no ac driving on snow and ice… The JOB IS YOURS !!

If they wanna cut costs, start out with the free lunch program. If it werent for the illegals we wouldn’t have to build 5 or 6 schools a year. Second cut out these enormous stadiums they build! Does every high school need a college size fireld along with a practice field? NO!!! Build 1 Stadium in the West and one in the East and let them share it. This would also mean we wouldnt have to buy all the land they do. For the students that do play sports and do other extra curricular activities, let them figure out how to get home. I am not for them cutting the benefits for the drivers, they should do it in these areas. Do any of the board members have kids in this system or are they NEW to Loudoun Co? SB go to HELLO!!!!

hahaha yeah, Young college grads are beating down the door to drive a bus.  That’s a laugh.  And, don’t believe everything every moron writes on these pages, the football players do not get dropped off at their doors, unless said door happens to be right in front of the bus stops.

Do they really drop off football players at their houses???  Do they do that for anyone else?

Hi Fed Up Taxpayer - You can get one of these ‘cushy’ jobs anytime you want. They are advertised every week in the Loudoun-Times and they cannot get enough employees to fill these ‘cshy’ jobs.

Let the bus drivers walk. They’ll be back because there are no other jobs.  And if the district actually let kids go to the schools closest to them so they could WALK, then we could get rid of a bunch of drivers anyway.  Then toss in that limo service of driving football players right to their doors after practice. What is with that?  My kids were in band and they practiced after school and had to find their own way home.  Crazy waste of money in this district!

Lets not forget that if ALL of the said employees lose their benefits YOU will still be paying for them through social servies (medicaid, medicare) Think before you shoot yourself in the foot!

I am not a resident of Loudoun County, but as a parent, I would not allow or want a “just out of college student” who could care less about their job to drive around my precious cargo.  That suggestion is just completely ridiculous!  I was one “just out of college” not too long ago and work with many “just out of college” people, talk about lack of maturity!

If the bus drivers were to walk off the job I think you’ve just created a logistical nightmare for getting through Loudoun in the morning and afternoons. Assuming each bus is carrying 20 students, and each school has roughly 20 buses, that’s now 400 cars trying to pull into and out of any given school.
BUS DRIVERS - DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO! YOUR JOB IS JUST AS ESSENTIAL AS NURSE’S/DOCTOR’S/LAW ENFORCEMENT, ETC.

Calm down and take a deep breath—-

“There is no real proposal on the bus drivers at this time, we just costed out what the School Board asked us to do,” Byard said.

This is just one area where the School Board has asked for the impact of any decision, and this is one of many such requests.  They are being responsible stewards and doing their homework.  If they can’t ask the questions, then how do they find the answers???  The answer they CANNOT give to the Board of Supervisors is that they pass the Superintendents Proposed Budget as proposed.  For that they would get an “F” and our kids would suffer more.  They need to know the cause and effect of any action taken, and therefore I commend them on doing their homework and not turning in a blank paper.

I have been a benefitted school bus driver for this county for 11 years. What you nay-sayers do not/will not realize is that we don’t “just” drive a bus. We transport YOUR children to and from school, ensuring THEIR safety, provide them First Aid (and God forbid CPR if necessary). We may not have a 7 or 8 hour contract. Fact is, our hours have been reduced as a result of previous budgets.

In reading all the comments thus far, one (of many) that stood out was the comment about letting us walk and giving our jobs to recent college grads looking for work. The argument was that they could fill the jobs, and look for new employment during the middle of the day. What new employment would they be seeking? Higher Pay? Benefits? And what happens when they find these new jobs? Turnover in the transportation department. You people have NO CLUE as to the importance of continuity in a child’s life! And the training necessary to safely transport your children - Think of the $$ that will be spent if every 6-12 months 800 new people need to be trained because all the College grads found a job that paid, and offered benefits! You think your taxes are being spent frivolously now?!?! Ha! Just wait!

To Fed Up: REALLY?!??! Either you do not have children in this school system or you just don’t have a clue as to what goes into providing the best education possible for the children of this county! Look at our web-page at our motto: Climate For Success. This is founded on the belief that EVERY employee of LCPS provides a valuable service to the enrichment of children’s lives and education. It is not limited strictly to the 7 or 8 hour contracted employees. It’s a little thing called team-work. Perhaps you’ve not heard of this concept, but it works well. Perhaps you should try it sometime, instead of looking down your nose at those who earn less than you do. And also, get to know more part-time employees - you would be surprised at the benefits they now receive.

32 hours and up is full time anything below 32 hours no bennies! for all the drivers who have been getting benefits and working less than 32 hours there should be a bill sent to you for restitution to the county. sgt friday had it right let the parents pay the 4 dollars a day for their childs bus service. walk out and take the teachers and their demands for a raise with you

I agree with Robin Beaver Klass, the bus drivers are the ones that have a extremely important job.  They just to need to cut the salaries of Hatrick, all he does is sit at a desk all day long.

Walk out.  Get fired.  Find a new job.

LCPS should outsource the busing service and many other services(like IT, web, courier). Next, they should combine several of the high chiefs positions. Either get rid of the deans at middle school or the assistant principals. No need for duplicate work. Huge savings and this is just a start.

How about a prorated solution?  A percentage of benefits paid related to the percentage of full time hours worked?

My child rides the bus and if the bus drivers walk out because of a benefit change then I will have to take him to school.  So what.  I will work it out.

But full time benefits for 3.5 hours of work a day…AND retirement benefits as well…. that’s expodentially expensive in the long run.  Change is coming, just a matter of when.

The transportation department will crumble before the school boards very eyes if this is approved.  I hope ALL Loudoun County parents are prepared to transport thier own children to and from school….

All you have to do is look at the great success Scott Walker has had in Wisconsin, to see how this movement can benefit Loudoun County. The waste of money by those trying to recall Gov. Walker is unconscionable.

The Scott York Crony Crew Strikes again.  His micromanagement ways and bullying the staff continues and this School Board is just an extension of him being a big BULLY.  Yelling at fellow board members, doing everything with a my way or the highway approach…this will be disasterous!

Replacing bus drivers should not be too difficult in today’s economic climate. Many college grads looking for full time employment could easily take the place of these old timers who seem to be running the school buses. These kids are not as concerned about health insurance as a whole and probably would relate better to the students they are transporting. Moreover, the hours and breaks would be ideal for kids who are looking and applying for jobs.

I believe money will be found in the unnecessary programs within the special needs department.  Hear me out please.  Education Anywhere is a program that gets LCPS transportation.  Most people who attend ED Anywhere are criminals waiting on their court date.  It use to be where the county had not used the alternative education program in the past for discipline reasons other than the Substance Abuse Education Program.  Now
such offenses include a firearm offense, homicide, felony assault, association with drugs or controlled substances, criminal sexual assault, arson, burglary, robbery, street gang activity or mob violence.  These are students in High school who committed one of the above and LCPS special needs buses transport them to and from their home.  We are transporting criminals, NOT Special needs students!  Then their is the YAP program.  An example of YAP… §  A student who is a parent or an expectant parent who is unable to regularly attend the traditional school program.
§  A student who is employed and the employment is necessary for support and interferes with a part of student’s instructional day.
§  Students who are under long term suspension.
And LCPS Special Needs Buses provide them with transportation.  The Code of Virginia, Section 22.1-76, permits school boards to provide transportation for students, but does not require them to do so. For students attending YAP, daily bus service may be provided. Loudoun County does not have to provide bus service, but LCPS transportation department gives this money away and puts these YAP people on Special Needs Buses. 

Special Needs are not for these programs.  These programs exist and should NEVER involve LCPS transportation. 

We have people supervising and running the transportation department who don’t have a clue what they are doing. 

Thanks Al Hampton for letting criminals ride our buses!  Thanks Francine Furby for letting teen-agers who spred their legs and get pregnant ride our school buses but yet don’t attend a Loudoun County Public School.

No Student Left Behind???  Don’t screw up and you wont be left bedhind!

This is what you get when you sit on your hand and don’t get up and vote.  Crazy teabag taxaphobics get elected.  And yea you think they are going to go after the illegal immigrants, blacks, gays and allow more guns for the gunnecks, but these fools can’t help themselves, they are going to go after the people that drive your kids to school, the people that educate your kids, next it will be the police and fire departments.  To them anyone making more than a minimum wage is being paid too much.  And if you are n a union, you are a communist.  They believe the country is broke, the County is broke, the schools are broke, and all of this in the richest county in America huh.  You order $hit you eat $hit.

I would suggest the board began looking into High Schools who are paying coaches that have NO teams. This has become a standard at PVHS. One year they had over 18K in paid coaches that had no teams. I am sure the other High Schools are doing the same thing.Stop wasting OUR money on things like that,and you will not have to take away hard working employee benefits!!
* If I were a news company,I would jump all over that scoop*

I absolutely agree with Elizabeth Ladner’s comments.  Well said!
Ann Robinson

...and this is only the beginning. LCPS employees are asked to do 200% more, yet get treated terribly, they get this and that cut (while other costs are rising), and are totally unappreciated in this county. Your bus drivers, as well as teachers and assistants are all hard workers, and good number of parents in this county do not appreciate them at all. What’s going to happen is that the bus drivers will find other places to work (and possibly live), and the teachers will be next, especially when the surrounding counties are paying more and treating them better.

The cuts need to come from the top, namely at the Admin building. By doing this, you’ll be surprised how much money will be saved. As I’ve posted before, I have many teachers and bus driver friends, and we are always talking about the happenings within the system. They are getting fed up with the mistreatments and the tons of work that they are expected to do. Their hard work and dedication, as well as their love of the kids, keep them going. Way to go, drivers, and don’t give up!

Finally, LCPS taxpayers, you ALL need to make certain people accountable for YOUR tax money that they spend. I followed the story on the money that suddenly “appeared” for the Promethean boards last year, and was shocked, especially when I heard of the measly raise your teachers was getting. Something isn’t right.

I think the bus drivers should not only keep their benefits, they should have a raise! How in the world they put up with all those noisey kids day after day and keep their sanity, I’ll never know. I couldn’t do it, nor would I try.  They have your children’s safety in their hands twice a day every school day.  I give them all the credit in the world for doing a job I’d never want.  Let the big shots take a cut.

I wonder when those tax breaks that the big oil companies get are going to be used to help our economy?  Isn’t that the theory behind it? Like here, why couldn’t big oil help out struggling school systems by reducing cost of fuel?  Perhaps it may save enough $ to offset cost of benefits.  Just a thought for the hypocrites called politicians.

Hey Waya we live in a County not a District!
You need to take your family and move out of Loudoun! 
You dumb donkey!

At Least When John Stevens Was Chairman He Had Walked a Mile In The Shoes Of A Bus Driver, A Janitor, A Cafeteria Worker And Other Important School Workers. I Even Saw Him Helping A Janitor One Time At Woodgrove HS Empty Her Rolling Cart!  The Voters Who Voted This New Bunch of Idiots Onto The School Board Have No Idea What They Are Infor! THANK GOODNESS MY KIDS HAVE ALL GONE FROM LCPS DURING THE GOOD TIMES! I Think It May Be Time To Figure Out How To Remove These Clowns and Get Better, Smarter More Student Friendly Representatives!

I watched most of the school board meeting on tv tonight.  What an absolutely freaking circus.  The new chairman has absolutely NO clue what he is doing or what he is talking about nor does his vice chairman.  They spent an hour after the public comment trying to decide what they could and couldn’t do and ended up adjourning without accomplishing a damn thing.  Way to go voters - you have no idea what you have done.  I understand that Brenda Sheridan and Tom Reed are opposed to taking away the benefits of these drivers.  No one else has responded to numerous emails asking them their position - cowards - so much for the “transparency” they got elected on.  When you have to take your kid to school every day because hundreds of bus drivers have quit and gone to counties that do provide benefits for all their employees, you can thank them for that.  When they expand the walking distance for elementary kids to 1 mile or more and your 6 year old has to walk to school because they have no bus drivers to take them, you can thank them for that.  When you have bus drivers that can’t speak, read or write english, you can thank them for that.  The new “six pack” (as they are referred to) that you voted for have no idea what they are doing and YOUR children will be the ones that ultimately lose.  These board members better start studying up and training now for a CDL because they are going to be driving school buses when the new school year starts if they do this because there won’t be enough drivers to drive the busses that get YOUR children to school.  Walk a mile in the shoes of the bus drivers and then you can make any comment you want.  Until then, don’t bash the drivers that keep your children SAFE every day - you should be THANKING them!!!

And by the way, the title may lead you to think the ‘walkout’ is of the bus drivers’ choosing.  It’s more of a ‘forceout’ due to not being able to do the job anymore b/c they need benefits.

Since “Fed Up Taxpayer seems to be such a whiney know-it-all, I’ll hand him my bus keys and we’ll see if he’s able to last for ONE day behind the wheel.  If the taxes are “strangling” you Fed Up, get the heck outta Loudoun and move someplace else.  And don’t let the door hit you…...

Oh that’s just great. Stick our middle school kids on a bus for 1 1/2 hours on the ride home with someone who is not even getting benefits (and no other supervision over the kids.)  I’m less concerned about the 10 minute rides kids have in other parts of the county (and my elementary schooler has)—but our middle school/high school drivers EARN their benefits here in Western Loudoun. 

Of course, the routes really need to be overhauled.  This is just horribly unfair to the kids, many of whom don’t get home until close to 5 p.m. and have a commute home that is equal to the time it takes to drive home from Washington, DC…  Someone needs to think outside the box and come up with some better solutions for the kids—all solutions might not be as costly as some might think.  (And btw, our family is only 10 miles from the school, on all paved roads, in a neighborhood with a number of kids (no driveway stop at our house)—for anyone who thinks everyone who has a horrendous ride in Western Loudoun is living alone on a mountain somewhere far up a dirt road.)

But this potential benefit cut really is awful for the drivers.  I have several friends who rely on the insurance from that job. They would need to look elsewhere I’m sure if benefits were slashed. How many drivers would actually quit if the benefits were cut?  Where would we be then?  Even longer routes?

Cushy Job? Apparently you have not had the opportunity to drive or ride on a school bus full of loud obnoxious kids! I would love for you to come ride my Bus for a day….You put up with all of the things that I do on a regular basis and then tell me how cushy my job is. Do you on a daily basis have to deal with 50+ children per school crying,fighting,screaming,sneezing,vomiting etc. granted not all of them are doing those things on a daily basis but at least one out of every school I serve. we are expected to pick up the children on time EVERYDAY deal with ignorant people that want to belittle me for doing my job! Do I come to your job and do that to you? No I do not because I have respect for EVERYONE that puts in a honest days work. Again I offer you the pleasure of ridding my bus for a day and then you can tell me how Cushy my job is.

Fed up Taxpayer…..and everyone else who always wants to compare jobs and benefits with every other job out there…..just because you don’t know any part-timer that gets benefits doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.  Part-timers in all kinds of fields (hospitals, larger companies) all get some type of benefits.  This is not a job I want, so I would just as soon pay someone else to do it and give them benefits as well.  You are but one voice…as am I.  I believe what they do is worth my tax dollars.

“Fed Up Taxpayer”.... Here is a news flash in case you missed the first day of “life”. If they make these cuts you are not going to get a refund in the mail!! Your taxes will continue to rise and YES you will have to pay them!! Why take out your frustrations on the LCPS bus drivers! You want to save money… How about the board members and government officials cutting their benefits and lowering their salaries? I can guarantee they do NOT work half as hard as these bus drivers!! Drive a School bus one day and see if you can even last!

Help Wanted: School Bus Driver Hours:7-9 am and 2-4 and oh yeah about an hour between 11 and 1.(no we will not pay you to drive back and forth) Must have CDL with Airbrake/passenger/bus certs, able to pass physical each year, and oh yeah its only for 184 days a year, the pay about 16.55 per hour, no benefits.  Apply Loudoun county school board

To Fed up taxpayer, maybe you should move to another less expensive place to live, I don’t think Loudoun Co. makes you very happy! I think we would all be happy if you moved to another Co.

I get the gist - just cos you didn’t have the guts to stand up for yourself, means I have to let you put yer boot on my neck. Gotcha.

The article wasn’t clear about the $24 million being a one time savings or per year. I am assuming it is per year. If anyone has better information please let us know.

Doing a little math shows that these benefits cost the taxpayer @12,875 per part time employee. These are jobs that pay about $14,700 a year (estimated using: 197 days * $15 per hr * 5 hrs a day ).

The costs for this school system need to come down and this is clearly one area where savings can be realized.

If they mess with the drivers there will be MAJOR Problems!  I can promise you that!  The School Board better get their CDL’s cause there are going to have to drive busses.

I am a bus driver for Loudoun, I love my job but the pay stinks. Now before you get up on you soap box UnderstandI work 8 hours a day for the county.  also have two other jobs that I work besides that one just to support my daughter and live in a cheap apartment. The only reason I stay on with the county is because of the benefits and mine aren’t in jeopardy because of my 8 hour status. If you pull benefits from the drivers/attendants/teachers assistants/cafateria workers that came to there jobs for the benefits (get health coverage for themselves and their children) they will get jobs elsewhere. CDL driver employers are hiring everywhere for more money, with insurance, and less chance of headaches from 60plus screaming kids behind them.

If there is such a money shortage why did Loudoun County Public Schools just spend $6 million installing tracking devices to record employee work time on school buses.  Wouldn’t that money be better spent on benefits for it’s hard working employees and not some fancy gadgets??  And how about those “state of the art” Promethean Boards in all the classrooms…whatever happened to the good old chalkboard or dry erase boards??  Loudoun County Public Schools spent More than $4 million on Promethean Boards last fiscal year because they had a surplus!!  I could go on but I just wanted to make a point.  I think it is disgraceful that the school board is considering taking their benefits away when there are many other things that could be done in place of this…..I just hope that the “new” aids, attendants, and drivers that are hired (if there is a “walkout”) are as, caring, professional and have the integrity of the ones that we let go.

Eric Hornberger is forced to eat his words.  His retractment shows just how stupid this School Board really is.  You start messing with the human beings who rely on their jobs with the school district and you will find out just what your up against.  How dumb can this School Board be?  Micromanage the budget?  Good luck idiots.

The discussion about part-time employees receiving benefits is a worthy one.  However, school bus drivers have anything but a “cushy” job.

If you are new to Loudoun in the last 10 years or so, you might not realize that offering benefits was a recruitment tool to hire needed drivers.  Most school bus drivers aren’t full-time, even though they must commit an entire day to drive morning, mid-morning, and afternoon runs. 

I work for LCPS, but I am not a bus driver and I can tell you that the drivers at my school are dedicated people who need their jobs and their benefits just like the rest of us.

By the way…..on any given day there are not enough drivers to cover bus runs in the county, so some of you that consider it a “cushy” job might want to apply.

I lost my job a year ago and worked two part time jobs for several months until a full time job appeared. I got no benefits from either (one office-based, one retail).  It is unheard of to get benefits working under 30-35 hours per week.  No wonder the school district sucks up so much tax $$.  Just look at Hatrick and his buddies and their benefits packages that make Donald Trump proud.  It has to stop somewhere. We are all cutting back and district employees have to as well.

Fed up, you are wrong.  They have trouble filling these jobs even with benefits.

Fed Up Taxpayer - Just where do you think we live?  There is a less than 4% unemployment rate in Loudoun.  LCPS has a hard enough time filling these bus driver jobs as it is. Move some place where you have low taxes and lousy services so you can be at peace and quit whining.

Hater

Sorry bus drivers, but no part time employees I know get ANY benefits!  Go ahead, walk out of your cushy jobs.  They will be filled by those wanting any sort of jobs, benefits or not.  This is like the Verizon crybabies who didn’t realize how good they had it.  Get in your buses, do your job, and. .no, unless you work full time, YOU GET NO BENEFITS, just like the rest of us who work for private businesses.  Taxes are strangling me, enough of this nonsense!