What does it say when a Superintendent has to double as a Bus Driver? Let’s unpack this.
My good friend CJ Vasco sent me an article about the bus driver shortage, a crisis hitting school districts across the country. The themes are familiar:
Chaos from a lack of staff
Low pay and demanding work
Workers who left during COVID and haven’t returned
The result? Greg Ebeling, the Superintendent at Pella Community Schools, is driving a bus.
This article mentioned the “Amazonification” of bus drivers—transportation roles becoming revolving doors for gig and seasonal workers. I don’t disagree. Four of my eight years at Amazon involved scaling an in-house logistics network to deliver packages faster at lower costs. It worked because we made it easy for people to join while embracing flexibility.
Why can’t schools do the same?
Here’s what’s in their control:
A 695-word job description with no mention of pay
Job postings on Indeed that say “pay information not provided”
An application that takes 20 minutes, 17 steps, and requires a login and desktop computer
Meanwhile, I found 25+ delivery driver jobs in Pella, IA, that I could apply to in 5 seconds. Why would someone choose a complicated process when easier options are everywhere?
Yes, bus driver roles are tough: split shifts, seasonal work, and challenging schedules. But take it from districts like East Grand Forks and White Bear Lake—they’ve found great people by emphasizing community impact, job stability, and excellent benefits. These jobs matter, and there are still people who want to make a difference.