As we begin to recover our economy from the pandemic, challenges remain. The ongoing shortage of goods and workers is hindering our recovery efforts. One significant consequence is the impact on essential services, particularly school transportation.
Many school districts nationwide are facing difficulties in hiring bus drivers and expanding their fleets while ensuring a safe environment for students and staff. For instance, a report by The Washington Post highlights that EastSide Charter School is so desperate for drivers that it is offering parents $700 for the year to drop off and pick up their children. Similarly, Pittsburgh Public Schools has postponed the return to in-person classes until it can fill approximately 400 driver vacancies.
“There’s a labor and inventory shortage at the same time we’re increasing enrollment and hiring,” stated Aaron Bass, the executive director of EastSide. “We’ve been searching tirelessly for all types of staff: janitors, cafeteria workers, psychologists, counselors, bus drivers. Even with unlimited funds, it’s challenging to find what we need.”
The situation is compounded by broader labor shortages. Many open positions in other sectors offer higher pay, leading potential bus drivers to seek employment elsewhere, leaving schools in a difficult position. In the last two months, the economy has added more than 1.8 million jobs, and the unemployment rate dropped to 5.4%, which is encouraging. However, we need to fill jobs across all sectors.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage for school bus drivers in 2018 was $16.05 an hour. Today, many companies are offering significantly more—Missouri Central School Bus, for instance, pays between $20 and $22.60 per hour, plus a $2,000 signing bonus. A quick search on job sites reveals numerous companies advertising competitive rates and bonuses.
Parents depend on these transportation services to ensure their children can attend school safely and reliably. With many parents juggling work commitments, it can be nearly impossible to manage school drop-offs and pick-ups. Concerns have been voiced by parents like Maria Thompson, who has three children in the Pittsburgh area. “I received a notice saying my kids would no longer have bus service and will need to walk,” she shared. “As a single mom of three, working two jobs, I can’t manage getting them to school every day.”
Many parents share similar worries, but the issue transcends merely having enough drivers; there’s also a shortage of buses. With the CDC still encouraging masks and social distancing, buses can only transport a limited number of students, necessitating more vehicles—a challenging cycle to break.
“I have to compensate by putting more buses on the road,” explained James Carter, transportation coordinator for Akron Public Schools. “But I can’t do that without drivers.” He has had to reduce bus routes from 80 to 70 and is consolidating stops to improve efficiency. Even with these adjustments, he anticipates an increase of $100,000 in transportation costs this year.
“Prices for everything—shipping, food, gas—are rising, and that drains our budgets,” he noted. “While it impacts families, we are unfortunately left with limited options.”
In Jefferson County, the Fox C-6 district has explored various solutions to their bus driver shortage. They have offered training and support for drivers to obtain the necessary licenses. One option included adjusting school start and end times to minimize the number of drivers needed. Another consideration was to discontinue bus services for students living within 1.5 miles of their schools, affecting one in five students.
“Fox C-6 is committed to providing consistent transportation for students each day. Based on this principle, we opted to change start and end times at 11 of our 17 schools to accommodate the same number of students with fewer drivers,” said Laura Bennett, communication coordinator for the district.
It’s important to remember that we are still navigating the pandemic, with lingering fears about COVID-19 and its variants. Many individuals prefer to avoid potentially risky situations, particularly with reports of the Delta variant spreading rapidly among children.
The ability of districts to meet student transportation needs hinges on infrastructure changes, especially as more children return to in-person learning this year. We can only hope for a continued commitment to health measures like masking and vaccination to help restore some level of normalcy.
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Summary:
As school districts grapple with bus driver shortages, some are incentivizing parents to transport their own children to school by offering monetary compensation. This trend highlights broader labor challenges as many potential drivers seek higher-paying jobs elsewhere. Adjustments in transportation systems are being made, but the ongoing pandemic adds layers of complexity and concern. The situation calls for innovative solutions and community support to ensure that children continue to have access to education.
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