Nationwide driver shortfall forces students to walk or stay home
School bus driver numbers have dropped by nearly 10% since 2019, prompting local disruptions and federal legislative action.
By Jonathan Reed ·
Students across the United States are facing more cancellations and delays as the national pool of school bus drivers shrinks. Between August 2019 and August 2025, the number of employed drivers fell from 223,252 to 202,076, a decrease of nearly 10%. This reduction is causing tangible impacts on daily routines for families in various states.
The trend began as the pandemic exposed labor market shifts. Once drivers obtained commercial licenses, many moved to industries offering higher wages. Since then, districts have struggled to replace those workers. In South Carolina’s largest district, the shortage generated over 7,000 delay notifications during the first 10 weeks of the 2025-2026 school year. In Fort Wayne, Indiana, thousands of students learned remotely for three days in April 2026 due to a lack of available drivers.
Local families report the stress of unpredictable pickups. Victoria Encarnacion of Waterbury, Connecticut, said her daughter missed the bus about once a month. On one occasion, her daughter waited outside, realized no one was coming, and walked to a different stop. After an hour of walking to multiple locations, the child went home. Encarnacion said the girl called to say, “Mom, I quit.” The parent noted that the uncertainty is stressful even when the issue occurs only once a month.
Mark Medina, a regional director with the National Association for Pupil Transportation, described the industry as being in a “lose-lose situation.” He noted that transporting 50 children requires significant attention. While pay has improved recently, the association is pursuing retirement cap waivers and tax relief to retain workers. Medina cited split shifts and changes in risk factors for older workers as obstacles to returning to pre-pandemic staffing levels.
Lawmakers introduced the Driving Forward Act in 2025 to remove a specific training barrier. Currently, all commercial driver’s license holders must identify engine parts and explain how they work. Proponents argue this requirement is better suited for long-haul trucking and adds three or four days of training for bus drivers. The bill would exempt school bus drivers from this specific test. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration stated that the exemption would not affect safety.
The legislation aims to streamline the hiring process for a critical workforce. Medina expressed confidence in the industry's ability to adapt, citing a “figure it out attitude” among transportation professionals. He believes that if this mindset persists, the sector will stabilize despite the current challenges.
