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Bus drivers not on board with proposed budget cuts

Posted at 6:39 PM, Feb 14, 2012
and last updated 2012-02-15 12:58:09-05

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) - More than half of Henrico’s school bus drivers are getting paid for time they don’t actually work, based on an efficiency study conducted by the school district.

According to the study, drivers are working an average of 5.13 hours a day rather than seven to eight hours. To try and close a $26 million dollar budget deficit, school leaders hope to put bus drivers on a standard, 6-hour a day contract.

School leaders say this reduction in hours would save the school system more than two million dollars a year.

However, some bus drivers told CBS 6 the district isn’t factoring in time spent at stop lights, fueling up and cleaning buses.

Drivers are only paid for time students spend on buses.

School board chair, Diana Winston said the board hasn’t made up its mind yet and still has many questions.

“We’re just doing the best we can to find the money to balance the budget,” said Winston.

Lorenzo Hall reports on this story, just click the video above for more detail.