Ongoing vacancies have drivers stretched thin, which is prompting schools to seek out potential employees by offering higher compensation and training opportunities. The shortages also mean longer bus routes, which can cause students to be late for school.
Eight-six percent of districts have open bus driver positions, while 79 percent are reporting lower applicant numbers compared to last year, according to a national EdWeek Research Center study. Student transportation declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant that San Jose Unified School District cut its bus service to 17 schools in the 2020-21 school year.
To combat this driver shortage, Moreland School District in San Jose is offering new bus drivers a thousand dollar hiring bonus, according to Superintendent Clover Codd.
The district employs six drivers. Ten percent of the population, or approximately 400 students across eight campuses, rely on bus service, Codd added. Drivers are pushing the clock as they take on additional routes in light of the vacancies.
According to Meredyth Hudson of Campbell Union High School, districts are competing with tech companies – such as Google and Apple – for drivers as workers return to the office. School bus drivers also require credentials and other qualifications.
