Isle of Wight County’s Board of Supervisors, on Jan. 20, signed off on a plan to fund bus driver raises using federal funds provided to school systems via the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act.

On Jan. 13, Isle of Wight’s School Board had voted to raise the minimum hourly base pay to $20 per hour for all bus drivers, and $15 per hour for bus assistants — with drivers eligible to receive an additional $350 to their base pay for each year of verified experience.

To make that happen, Isle of Wight’s Board of Supervisors, which funds Isle of Wight County Schools, needed to approve a change in the categorical allotment for the federal funds.

The funding proposal was included in the Board of Supervisors’ January consent agenda, which the supervisors voted unanimously to approve.

The raises will take effect Feb. 1.