ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Anne Arundel County Board of Education has approved a plan that would provide additional compensation for bus drivers and attendants.
The plan was put forward by Superintendent George Arlotto when he requested more than $7.4 million in a budget request which would provide every one of their school bus drivers and bus attendants with a $5 per hour wage increase.
The request has to be formally approved by the County Council, but the County Executive can agree to disburse the ARP funding for recruitment and retention bonuses immediately without Council approval.
“County Executive Pittman has been clear that the County stands ready to assist our school system in solving this issue, which has been decades in the making,” Board of Education President Melissa Ellis said. “I take him at his word and believe he will do just that. I am hoping this funding will be approved as soon as possible so that we can get it to our current and future bus drivers and attendants and, in turn, provide our students and families the transportation services they need.”
Pittman issued a response Wednesday morning.
"I received the Board’s supplemental budget request yesterday to fund this plan, and began reviewing it with my team. While we conduct that review, I have instructed our legislative staff to move forward with an emergency supplemental budget bill at Monday’s County Council meeting," said Pittman. "We will do our due diligence and work with the Council to make sure the supplemental budget request is an efficient, fiscally responsible package that will accomplish our goal - getting our kids to school, on time, every day."
