COMAL COUNTY, Texas – In just three weeks, you could be driving a school bus and picking up students in Comal County.
The Comal Independent School District is inviting job seekers to stop by its districtwide job fair Tuesday and “Experience the Ride.” It includes a chance for interested applicants to get behind the wheel of a bus in a controlled setting.
School districts across the San Antonio area are in a time crunch to fill positions before the new school year begins.
The Comal ISD job fair is aimed at hiring for a range of openings, including teachers, classroom assistants and other support roles. For bus driver candidates, the interview process is designed to be hands-on.
“Driving this thing is the easiest part of the job,” said Jerry Holt, a Comal ISD transportation safety and training supervisor.
Holt said applicants are first coached on basics such as seating position and steering wheel comfort before driving through a parking-lot course marked with cones.
Comal ISD is looking to hire nearly 20 bus drivers before classes begin on Aug. 25. Holt said the district has seen more young people applying than in years past.
As a recruiting tool, Holt said, allowing applicants to try driving helps ease concerns about handling a large vehicle. The approach has also produced results. About half of those who took a test drive last year were eventually hired, he said.
The district estimates that it takes about three weeks for an applicant to be ready to drive on the streets.
“Visit us and see what it’s like. It’s not hard,” Holt said.
The Comal ISD districtwide job fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21, at the district’s Support Services Building, located at 1404 IH 35 North, in New Braunfels.
Other districts are also hiring bus drivers. The San Antonio Independent School District has up to 15 bus driver positions to fill. They have a job fairs scheduled in the near future:
July 22, 10 a.m. to noon, Transportation Depot, 418 Roland Road, 78210
Aug 26, 10 a.m. to noon, Transportation Depot, 418 Roland Road, 78210
The Northside Independent School District has 41 bus driver vacancies and will hold a job fair from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, July 23, at the McClung Transportation Station, located at 14173 Old Farm to Market 471 W, San Antonio, TX 78254.