A long-standing conflict between the Rutherford County Schools and its bus drivers has now added a new wrinkle.¶
During its work session on Monday, the district’s school board recommended adopting a new policy that adds language on the payment of insurance premiums for its bus drivers and rules for leasing or renting buses. The board must give written notice to the bus contractors at least 30 days before the policies go into effect.¶
The new policy states that contractors who pay their insurance premiums must provide a certificate of insurance to the Transportation Department by Aug. 1 each year, and contractors who pay premiums on a less-than-yearly basis must provide a certificate of insurance by the first of each month thereafter, after receiving a paycheck. Under the proposed policy, the board would withhold payment to any contractor who does not comply.¶
The second addition requires contractors to provide a written lease for any bus rented for repairs for less than 30 days, and only one 30-day extension may be allowed. They are not allowed to use a rented bus on a route for more than 30 days without Board approval and a written lease. The contractor must also carry liability insurance for the entire time the bus is rented.¶
History of Bussing Challenges
Rutherford County does not retain school bus drivers as full-time employees and instead hires more than 120 contractors to provide transportation for students. This arrangement has led to conflict since as early as 2024, over working conditions, pay, and even routes.¶
In early 2025, the district narrowly avoided a strike when school bus drivers sent a letter threatening to stop service due to the board’s reluctance to negotiate a new deal. The following May, board members approved a new contract that included a 17 percent raise in the first year and a 2.5 percent raise for the next three years, as well as a $4,000 stipend for drivers to pay for their own bus insurance, but the Rutherford County Bus Contractors Organization (RCBCO) called the district’s initial proposal “a poverty wage.”¶
The district even considered buying its own school buses to address uncovered routes, as well as lowering the minimum age for school bus drivers from 25 to 23 to address driver shortages.¶
