School bus driver numbers fall 10%

The number of school bus drivers in the United States fell from 223,252 in August 2019 to 202,076 in August 2025. This represents a decline of nearly 10 percent over the six year period. Districts across the country are currently working to address the resulting shortage of personnel.

Disruptions are becoming a regular part of the school day for many families. In Fort Wayne, Indiana, thousands of students learned remotely over three days in April 2026 due to a lack of drivers. In South Carolina, the state's largest district issued more than 7,000 delay notifications to parents during the first 10 weeks of the 2025-2026 school year.

Parents report that missed pickups are causing daily stress. Victoria Encarnacion said her daughter in Waterbury, Connecticut, often waits outside for a bus that never arrives. During one incident, her daughter walked to multiple stops for an hour before going home. Encarnacion noted that these missed pickups occur about once a month for her family.

"As a parent, is it stressful every day not knowing if the bus is going to pick up your kid? Absolutely," Encarnacion said. "It happens maybe once a month, but it's definitely stressful." She said the issue has led her to tell her daughter to stay home when the bus does not show up.

Industry leaders point to pay and hiring barriers as primary causes. Mark Medina, a regional director with the National Association for Pupil Transportation, said drivers often face a lose-lose situation. He noted that drivers with commercial licenses can move to other industries for better pay. Medina added that the work involves transporting a bus with 50 children, which is complex and demanding.

Medina said the association is working to secure retirement cap waivers and tax relief for drivers. He stated that pay has improved in recent years. He also cited split shifts and changes in risk factors for an older workforce as obstacles to returning to pre-pandemic staffing levels.

Lawmakers introduced the Driving Forward Act in 2025 to simplify the hiring process. The bill would remove a requirement for commercial driver's license holders to identify engine parts. Proponents argue this requirement is designed for long-haul trucking and adds three or four days of training. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says the exemption would not affect safety.