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The Mountain Home Public Schools Board of Education approved adding a lead mechanic position to its salary schedule at its Feb. 19 meeting, a move district officials said is necessary to attract experienced candidates to a department that has struggled to fill its maintenance ranks.
The action, which takes effect for the 2026-27 school year, creates a new tier above the existing bus mechanic position on the salary schedule. The lead mechanic salary scale mirrors what the district already pays for other licensed skilled trades positions, including heating and air technicians, electricians, and maintenance workers.
Transportation Director Jason Rose first brought the proposal to the district’s Curriculum and Budget Committee the previous month. The idea is to bring in someone with more experience and certification who can oversee the transportation department’s mechanics as a unit rather than simply working on individual buses as they come into the garage.
Superintendent Allyson Dewey said the district wanted to move quickly once the board approved the position.
“I’d like to post this position tomorrow,” Dewey said. “We’re having trouble already finding folks. This would at least give us somebody with a few more years of experience.”
She made clear why filling the role matters.
“We’re putting kids on buses every day,” Dewey said.
The board approved the salary schedule amendment without objection. The position will be posted for the 2026-27 school year.
