Buses waited at Bellwood Elementary in Chesterfield County in 2019. The district opened the 2021-2022 year needing 100 drivers.

After starting off the school year with a bus driver deficit that caused extra routes for drivers, bus delays and traffic nightmares for parents picking up and dropping off students, Chesterfield County Public Schools announced Thursday morning that the division is fully staffed with bus drivers.

The zero vacancies come roughly seven months after the district opened for the 2021-2022 academic year in need of 100 bus drivers. Around the time the school year began, Schools Chief Merv Daugherty urged parents to drive their children to school and encouraged “everyone” to apply to become a bus driver.

Chesterfield County, with more than 62,000 students, is among the largest school districts in the state.

Chesterfield’s transportation woes are practically a yearly occurrence. In 2018, the district faced 55 driver vacancies before facing similar shortages the following year. In the fall of 2020 as the district worked to get children back in schools amid the pandemic, school officials asked for parents’ help with transportation.

“The school system has hired more than 100 new drivers since the beginning of the school year, which means that 499 school bus drivers are now transporting Chesterfield County students to and from school,” according to a school system news release.

A week after the district opened in August, Daugherty announced a $3-an-hour boost to driver pay and $3,000 in bonuses to attract more candidates to the district.

The increased pay bumped bus drivers’ salaries to over $20 an hour, at $20.21, with the bonuses being spread over the year.

In a video message on Thursday, Daugherty thanked county bus drivers, the transportation department, parents, teachers, school leaders and county leaders for all their help these past few months.

“We’re better together,” he said. “We can solve anything as long as we talk about it, we look at the problem, and we come together for a solution.”

Lisa Farbstein, TSA public affairs spokesperson, talks about what items are prohibited to carry on a plane and what items are allowed. She spoke during a press conference at Richmond International Airport Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

During a news conference on Wednesday, officials with the Transportation Security Administration showed a host of prohibited items that have been brought to checkpoints at Richmond International Airport.

This is one example of a prohibited item brought to checkpoints at Richmond International Airport. TSA officials displayed them during a press conference Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

This is one example of a prohibited item to be brought to checkpoints at Richmond International Airport. TSA officials displayed them during a press conference Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

This knife is one example of a prohibited items to be brought to checkpoints at Richmond International Airport. TSA officials displayed them during a press conference Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

This straight razor is one example of a prohibited item to be brought to checkpoints at Richmond International Airport. TSA officials displayed them during a press conference Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

Brass knuckles are one example of a prohibited item to be brought to checkpoints at Richmond International Airport. TSA officials displayed them during a press conference Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

This tool is one example of the most common prohibited items that have been brought to checkpoints at Richmond International Airport. TSA officials displayed them during a press conference Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

These are some of the most common prohibited items that have been brought to checkpoints at Richmond International Airport. TSA officials displayed them during a press conference Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

These are some of the most common prohibited items that have been brought to checkpoints at Richmond International Airport. TSA officials displayed them during a press conference Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

These are some of the most common prohibited items that have been brought to checkpoints at Richmond International Airport. TSA officials displayed them during a press conference Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

These are some of the most common prohibited items that have been brought to checkpoints at Richmond International Airport. TSA officials displayed them during a press conference Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

This is an example of a prohibited item that has been brought to checkpoints at Richmond International Airport. TSA officials displayed them during a press conference Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

This blackjack is an example of a prohibited item to be brought to checkpoints at Richmond International Airport. TSA officials displayed them during a press conference Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

This self-defense weapon is one example of a prohibited item that has been brought to checkpoints at Richmond International Airport. TSA officials displayed them during a press conference Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

These are examples of prohibited items that have been brought to checkpoints at Richmond International Airport. TSA officials displayed them during a press conference Wednesday, March 23, 2022.

These are the guns TSA stopped at Richmond International Airport since October 2021.

Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

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Buses waited at Bellwood Elementary in Chesterfield County in 2019. The district opened the 2021-2022 year needing 100 drivers.

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