JACKSON TWP — AJ Myers and Sons has had trouble recruiting bus drivers this school year, and the Seneca Valley School District now is offering an incentive of its own to bring more in.

Linda Andreassi, the director of communications for the district, said the district will start offering a referral and recruitment bonus for drivers and also an attendance bonus.

The bus company already had offered a $250 bonus for any employee who recruited a new driver. Seneca Valley will now offer an additional $250, meaning a bus driver who recruits a new driver could earn a $500 total bonus.

In addition, Seneca Valley will offer $100 to any bus employee who completes the current school year without any absences.

Jim Pearson, the director of transportation for the district, said Seneca Valley could use at least 10 more drivers than currently serve the district.

The need is becoming stronger because the spring season brings a significant increase in the number of students who need to be transported by bus.

All of the spring sports teams — baseball, softball, tennis and track and field — need bus drivers to take them to away games, while field trips also pick up with the warmer weather.

“We’re looking at ways to get drivers in our doors, not just for school runs but for field trips and sports events,” Pearson said. “It gets really heavy in the spring.”

Pearson said he’d also like to recruit more bus drivers from the Cranberry Township area.

“Over half of our students come from the Cranberry area but we only have three drivers from Cranberry,” he said.