School Bus Driver Shortage Persists Despite Pay Hikes

School districts across the nation still face a severe shortage of bus drivers. They must fight to hire and keep staff even as they raise pay. This struggle continues because there simply are not enough qualified workers available.

Employment numbers tell a stark story. In August 2025, the number of school bus drivers was down 9.5% compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Wages did rise by 4.2% over the last year when adjusted for inflation. Yet this increase has not been enough to fix the gap. An Economic Policy Institute analysis tracks these figures using federal survey data from a rolling twelve-month window.

"The wages are simply too low," Wething told FOX Business. She identified pay as the main reason the workforce has failed to return to where it was before the pandemic. The job also comes with scheduling headaches. Drivers often work split shifts. They might drive an early morning route, take several hours off, and then drive again in the afternoon. These irregular hours make the role less attractive than trucking or delivery jobs that offer better pay or more predictable schedules.

Not everyone classified as outside the labor force is actually available to work. This group includes retirees, students, caregivers, and people with disabilities. Wething warned against assuming these people can easily fill open positions.

The East Greenbush Central School District in New York felt this pressure during the 2025-2026 school year. When Superintendent Kurtis Kotes took over in July 2025, the district was short nearly 14 bus runs. Mechanics and dispatchers with the right licenses had to step up and cover routes.

"We had to consolidate runs," Kotes told FOX Business. "It meant students were late being picked up from home. Sometimes it meant they were late getting back home again, and it would impact instructional time."

The district responded by hosting a recruitment event called a bus rodeo. Prospective drivers could try operating a school bus with trainers even without a commercial driver's license yet. Kotes said the event resulted in approximately five to eight hires. East Greenbush pays drivers about $28 an hour and offers health benefits. Kotes noted these perks are vital tools for recruiting and retaining staff as they compete against Amazon warehouses, other public-sector employers, and seasonal work like snowplowing.

"The issue becomes… health benefits behind that for people that are looking at this as a primary source of income," he said. The district also tries to give drivers extra hours during the middle of the day. These opportunities include field trips or custodial cleaning assignments. Some drivers take other part-time jobs to supplement their earnings.

Leadership has also sought to understand the job better. Kotes and the district's interim human resources director obtained their own licenses to support the transportation department. Kotes spent five weeks training before earning a Class B CDL with school bus and passenger endorsements. His training covered defensive driving, student management, safety procedures, emergency response, and vehicle inspections. He passed his road test and drove his first student route in December 2025.

Kotes does not drive daily but helps cover sports and after-school runs when needed. He said the district is now in a better staffing position, though competition for workers remains fierce. Wething noted that the expiration of federal pandemic-relief funding has added even more pressure on school systems.

New funding allowed school districts to bring back support workers, such as bus drivers. Now those same districts must keep running these services while budgets get tighter. Families face real problems when drivers are missing. Pickups run late. Rides take much longer. Routes combine in ways that disrupt schedules. Districts cannot just raise hourly pay to solve this gap. They also need better benefits, extra hours, training help, and strong retention plans to find staff.

Kotes explained that money is only half the story. Workplace culture matters just as much for keeping drivers on the job. "When people feel like they're valued, they're going to want to work here," he said. This shift puts pressure on entire communities. Schools struggle to get students home safely. Families deal with uncertainty every morning. The risk is clear: without enough trained and happy staff, transportation systems break down completely.