By KERI CHAMPION

Staff Reporter

RESERVE-After the recent plea for substitute bus drivers put forward by St. John the Baptist Parish School Board, two new drivers have been hired by the system.

This means that the total number of substitute bus drivers is now stands at nine. While this covers the previously reported nine leave shortages, it still leaves little room for drivers who need to take a sick day, family time, or vacation.

With nine drivers there is still need for people to substitute as drivers to alleviate demand for the short term or a day missed.

Ann Laborde, personnel director for the school board said, &#8220While we have hired two new substitute bus drivers, there is still a need for more. We could use 10 more substitutes drivers and they could work, we could always use more,” she said.

Other than the two that have already been hired, there are no other applications for drivers pending and no new applications have come in.

In an effort to attract more bus drivers as well as more and better qualified teachers next Thursday’s Finance Committee meeting will seek to raise the pay of bus drivers from $64 to $75 as well as raising the pay of certified substitute teachers to $80 and grant pay raises to uncertified substitute teachers too.