Bus Driver Shortage is Creating a Crisis for Schools and Families

A nationwide shortage of school bus drivers is making it difficult for school districts to provide transportation to all students who need it.

Although the number of school bus drivers has increased by 1.1 percent since last year, it is still 9.5 percent lower than in 2019, explains Robbie Sequeira in Governing. Meanwhile, “Private school bus contractors now account for 38% of the nation’s pupil transportation services, according to the National School Transportation Association.”

In some cases, families are forced to fill the gap with rideshare services and public transit, but half of K-12 students still rely on school buses, according to a report from the Economic Policy Institute. “The report warns that school district budgets are tightening as federal pandemic relief funds have expired, and notes that the Trump administration has delayed some federal K-12 funding in its bid to shrink and eventually eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.” Students with disabilities could be most severely impacted by the shortage, and that a lack of reliable school transportation can lead to absenteeism and missed school meals.