SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — All across the state, schools are deciding to return to in-person learning.

This leaves one top Wisconsin bus company in a tough place — searching for permanent full and part-time help.

Kobusssen’s Kristin Ward welcomes you on-board her big yellow dream job. The 12-year driver says the career provides her near-perfect work-life balance.

"What I really like to do is be able to work and still be a mom," Ward said. But as more schools heading back now, she’s and her fellow drivers busier than ever.

"That's true, every day more routes are added and actually building back up after the pandemic," said Ward. "They've [Kobussen] really had to be creative with how they transport kids because we're transporting fewer kids on the same number of buses at more very times throughout the day."

This social distancing safety response means Kobussen Recruiter Valerie Zintz needs more candidates to fill the important positions.

"We are in need for your help to safely take our students to and from school," Zintz said. Each of Kobussen's 23 state terminals and 18 technicians shops need new crew members now. 

"At each location, we are looking for about four drivers, one at least one or two technicians," Zintz said.

Kobussen Sun Prairie Shop Manager Paul Fugate says help underneath the hood critical as demand revs up.

"We would certainly like to see some, some technicians coming in, you know, we're interested in. Anybody older, younger, you know, we, we're not against the draft and develop a type of strategy.

Kobussen offers perks like tuition reimbursement, a $1,500 sign-on bonus and another cool incentive, just for considering the job.

"In fact, you can come in and test drive a school bus, if you want to get the feel for what that's like before you apply. That's something new that we're offering just to get people over that fear that you're driving a much larger vehicle but it's not that hard once you start driving," Zintz said.

Kobussen also pays its trainee-drivers $10 per hour as they undergo the necessary license training. 

You can learn more about the company's now hiring effort, here.