The Nationwide School Bus Driver Shortage

From concerned parents, to late buses becoming a common occurrence it is no secret that public school transportation has changed. Especially since the start of the pandemic. Schools across the country have been experiencing the same problem. A lack of school bus drivers to take students to and fro school. Districts have buses, but no drivers. According to an article written by a member of the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), a teachers union, says that a main cause could be the pandemic and rising health concerns. “We lost eight drivers right off the bat. They were older and they were afraid for their health.” While the pandemic may be a factor in the shortage, there are some other factors too. States like New York and Alaska are also experiencing these problems as well, even though they have the highest mean salary for a bus driver. This suggests that the health concerns and risks outweigh the pay. Some schools are resorting to dismissing students early until they can find a permanent solution. Allen Middle School, in Moorestown, NJ, is an example of this. On Jan 21, 2022, students were dismissed early because of a driver shortage. While the pandemic is a big reason as to why there is a shortage, bus driver shortages aren’t anything new. This was a problem last school year too, but this year it seems to be getting worse. In sum, the reason for the shortage is the pandemic. So, now we can add to the list of things the pandemic has ruined for us. Instead of your bus being the usual five minutes late, it will be fifteen minutes. This is a problem that unfortunately doesn’t have a quick, nor easy solution. All we can do is wait and see.