Several Lafayette Parish contract school bus drivers say higher insurance premiums could keep them from driving. The school district wants to give them more money to help out.  Those drivers say it’s not enough.

The school system says the insurance premium for many contract drivers is going $10,000 to $12,000 a year.  The school district already provides a $3,000 supplemental operational pay. The request is to increase that support to $5,000.

Willard Johnson has been a contract bus driver for 15 years. Johnson says $2,000 more in supplemental pay is not enough to offset the anticipated increase in liability and collision insurance. “If the insurance is going up $10,000 and above that’s not sufficient,” Johnson explains.

Johnson says LPSS contract drivers are required to have $1 million in insurance coverage. He says two years ago the requirement was $500,000 making for a lower premium rate per year. “The (state) law requires $500.  I think that’s what it should be,” Johnson explains.

Contract driver Jacqueline Wilridge says her premium auto insurance rate for the school bus she owns will more than double. “It will go from $5,000 to $23,000. I’m the highest,” Wildridge adds.

Many drivers say they love what they do but are faced with few options to stay on the road. “I love transporting the kids. We are being pushed against the wall because of what we’re going through right now,” Wilridge notes.

Wilridge agrees a supplement of $5,000 dollars from the school district to offset the high cost of liability insurance is a red flag. She plans to stay positive and hope for the best. “I have to decide what I’m going to do,” Wilridge says.

LPSS says the higher insurance coverage requirement can ensure the district has drivers with solid and substantial coverage in case something happens.