Concord-Carlisle School Committee Approves Bus Driver Pay Hike to Address Route Shortage

CONCORD — April 1, 2026 — Concord-Carlisle School Committee approves bus driver pay increases and hiring bonuses to address a growing route-staffing shortage. The joint Concord and Concord-Carlisle Regional School Committee voted unanimously April 1 to authorize a 2 percent immediate pay increase for bus drivers — carried through the next two contract years — along with a $2,500 hiring bonus for licensed drivers and a $1,000 employee referral bonus, at a combined annual cost of roughly $18,000 to Concord Public Schools and $12,000 to the regional district. Assistant Superintendent Bob Fernandes told the committee the district had been "getting close to the point where we weren't going to be able to run routes," citing a national post-COVID driver shortage and competition from Worcester and Framingham, which recently brought transportation in-house. The committee also spent roughly 45 minutes revising a draft community survey on a potential bell-to-bell cell phone policy for Concord-Carlisle High School — the district currently has no formal School Committee policy at the high school level — assigning members Brian Williams and Sandeep Agarwal to finalize the wording and format before the April 15 meeting. Three public commenters, including the founder of the nonprofit Turning Life On, urged the committee to adopt a strict bell-to-bell smartphone ban, while CCHS student representatives said the existing caddy system is "working to the degree that it needs to be working." The committee also voted unanimously to decline state school choice participation for 2026-2027, citing enrollment near building capacity.