The number of school bus drivers in the U.S. has fallen nearly 10% since 2019, from about 223,000 to just over 202,000, and districts are feeling the pinch. Fort Wayne, Indiana sent students to remote learning for three days in April 2026 because there weren’t enough drivers. South Carolina’s largest district sent more than 7,000 delay notifications to parents in the first 10 weeks of the school year. For families, the shortage shows up as missed pickups, late routes and last-minute scrambles. One Waterbury, Connecticut mom says her daughter’s bus is missed about once a month.
Advocates point to several culprits: pay that lags behind other commercial driving jobs, split shifts that break up the day, an aging workforce, and licensing and training barriers. Lawmakers have introduced the Driving Forward Act, which would drop an engine-parts training requirement for school bus drivers. Industry groups are also pushing for retirement cap waivers and tax relief to keep experienced drivers working longer. Districts, meanwhile, are experimenting with bonuses, route consolidation and creative scheduling to stretch thin staff.
Here on the Suncoast, reliable transportation is already a big topic, from storm season planning to cross-bridge commutes. When the school bus doesn’t show, parents miss work and kids miss class. Have you dealt with bus delays in your district? We want to hear your story.
