VIDALIA &8212; Eight Durham School Services buses will be on Concordia Parish roads this fall.

Only four of the 30 drivers who drove last year will switch to Durham buses this year. And Durham will hire four more drivers for routes previously open.

The transportation company met with about 30 applicants for the open routes this week.

The district hasn&8217;t yet finalized the contract with the private company, but Superintendent Kerry Laster said that should happen soon after committee review. The school board approved contracting the transportation services out at a June meeting &8212; one many drivers attended to protest the change.

The four drivers switching to Durham buses have chosen to remain school employees, receive state retirement and insurance through the district, Transportation Supervisor Tommy Lanius said.

James Cockerham, president of the local bus drivers&8217; association, and his wife are two of the drivers who will be on Durham buses.

Though he still doesn&8217;t approve of the decision to contract bus services out, Cockerham said Durham was perfect for him. The bus he owns and has driven for five years is too old and not operational anymore, he said. He considered retiring &8212; though he lacks one year before he&8217;s eligible.

&8220;Durham had the option to drive one of their buses and still pay into the state retirement system,&8221; Cockerham said. &8220;So, I&8217;ll stay one year. This deal with Durham was a godsend in that respect.&8221;

But for most other drivers the switch wasn&8217;t necessary, Cockerham said.

&8220;Those who are able to do their own mechanic work, it&8217;s better for them to keep their own bus,&8221; he said.

And that&8217;s what the district expected, Laster said.

&8220;I think it will be a gradual process,&8221; she said. &8220;They may pick up two to three more drivers next year. It&8217;s going to be a slow change, but I think it will be a very positive change.&8221;

Durham is purchasing eight brand new buses for the parish routes this year. Six should be on the roads when school starts, two more will come in October. Of the new buses, two will be air conditioned for use on activity trips.

And Durham will manage all bus services, Laster said. They&8217;ll handle safety checks, bus audits, training and routes.

Durham officials began making route maps this week &8212; a process that is long overdue, Laster said.

&8220;They are using software to make good maps for us,&8221; she said. &8220;We had maps we&8217;d been using that you couldn&8217;t read, and there are no good maps of this parish.&8221;

As Durham buses hit their age limit, the company will replace them with new ones, keeping the fleet current at all times.

&8220;The savings will not be in the first year,&8221; Laster said. &8220;But the advantage will be we will have better buses.&8221;

The district will pay Durham just under $200 a day per Durham bus. The exact details of the contract are under review. The district also pays gas costs.

For Cockerham and some of the other drivers the Durham deal was and still is an insult, he said.

&8220;My problem all along has been, hey offer us the same deal you offer them,&8221; he said. &8220;I said if they make us a similar proposal, we too will buy a new bus.

&8220;I still don&8217;t think $200 a day is appropriate to pay for a bus and still pay for fuel. We&8217;ve been through thick and thin with them. I still say they should have offered us some kind of deal.&8221;