BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Parish School System is considering several changes to transportation to fill a shortage of bus drivers.

According to the agenda for Thursday's school board meeting, the board plans to consider implementing a $500 stipend to any EBRPSS employee who recruits a new school bus driver. It would pay $250 if the recruited driver completes training and does their route for 30 school days and $250 if the driver completes 180 consecutive days of employment as a bus driver.

Additionally, they will consider an increase in the hourly rate for extra routes taken by current bus drivers. That rate would increase from $13.29 per hour to $18 per hour.

That meeting takes place 5 p.m. Thursday.