Bus drivers in the Chimacum School District have a new employment contract.

The Chimacum School Board unanimously approved a two-year contract with Chimacum Unified Drivers and Specialists (CUDS) at the board’s meeting last week.

The agreement follows a contract that was set to expire Aug. 31. The term of the new agreement is from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31, 2023.

One of the biggest changes was planning around a scheduling change for next year, said Art Clarke, assistant superintendent for finance and operations.

“Chimacum is going to a K-12 early release next year for all students. It’s historically been K-6,” Clarke told the school board. “So there’s less time on Wednesdays for the drivers to work so we actually reduced their hours.”

Drivers will be allowed to make up those lost hours for a year, he said.

According to the contract, early release for all K-12 students will mean the same start and end times, resulting in one bus run. Drivers’ pay will be averaged at four days per week for their full route and one day per week at the reduced route.

In other contract terms, route assignments will be bid during the August in-school day, and then re-bid within 15 school days after the start of the new school year.

Route and mid-day route assignments will be open for selection by drivers based on seniority at the beginning of the school year.

The 24-page contract also sets pay levels for regular and substitute drivers, benefits, probation and discipline, dispute resolution, video cameras on buses, driver expenses, trip compensation, and other employment issues. There are nine district employees who are members of the CUDS association.

Starting pay for drivers is $22.55 an hour; starting pay for transportation specialists is $24.61 an hour.