ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Every Albemarle County Public Schools school nurse and bus driver will receive a $2,500 bonus as a token of appreciation.

Division spokesperson Phil Giaramita says all current and new employees will receive the bonus.

The division currently has 25 nurses and it's looking to hire one or two more.

Giaramita says both nurses' and bus drivers' efforts do not go unnoticed.

"Both our nurses and bus drivers who are normally ten-month employees worked through the summer because we have a lot of children back in schools in the summer. They really have gone well beyond what their normal duties and responsibilities have been over the years," he said.

Giaramita says the average salary for a school nurse in Albemarle County is around $30,000. And the starting salary for bus drivers is around $16 an hour.

Giaramita also says the bus driver shortage has improved a bit but the division is still struggling.

The division was down 20 bus drivers, but it has hired seven.

The district made plans to expand school walking zones, but those plans are being put on hold.

Giaramita says the division is working with the Albemarle County Police Department to weigh all of its options.

"We're going to ask them to look at all of these walk zones and to give us input on what measures we can take, what measures we need to take to ensure it's a safe experience for children," he said.

Giaramita says more parents are volunteering to drive their kids to school which helps.

He adds the division is also considering hiring people to drive students in vans as a long-term solution because that does not require a commercial driver's license.