US school bus driver count drops to 202,076

The total number of school bus drivers employed in the United States declined from 223,252 in August 2019 to 202,076 in August 2025. This roughly 10% reduction has forced districts across the country to manage a shrinking workforce while maintaining transportation routes for millions of students.

The shortage became visible to families in the spring of 2026. In Fort Wayne, Indiana, thousands of students were required to attend school remotely for three days in April due to a lack of available drivers. South Carolina experienced similar disruptions during the first 10 weeks of the 2025-2026 academic year. The state's largest school district issued more than 7,000 delay notifications to parents because of driver shortages.

Victoria Encarnacion in Waterbury, Connecticut, described the daily uncertainty of the current system. She said her daughter recently waited outside at the bus stop for an hour before realizing no vehicle was coming. The student walked to multiple stops before returning home. Encarnacion reported that this specific issue occurs about once a month for her family. "She called me and told me, 'Mom, I quit,'" Encarnacion said. "For her to go through that effort just to make it to school, it's impactful for me to be like, all right, you know, just stay home."

Mark Medina, a regional director with the National Association for Pupil Transportation, stated that drivers often feel trapped in a difficult position. "They're doing the best that they can," Medina said. "It's not an easy thing to transport a bus with 50 kids. There's a lot happening." Medina noted that the pandemic made it easier for drivers with commercial licenses to switch to industries with higher wages. He added that split shifts and changes in risk factors for an aging workforce have made it hard to restore pre-pandemic staffing levels.

Medina said pay has improved in recent years and the association is pushing for retirement cap waivers and tax relief. He expressed confidence in the industry's ability to adapt. "There's a figure it out attitude in the school transportation world," Medina said. "And I believe that if that mindset continues, we're going to be all right."

Lawmakers introduced the Driving Forward Act in 2025 to address one specific barrier to entry. Current rules require all commercial driver's license holders to identify engine parts and understand their function. Proponents argue this requirement is designed for long-haul trucking and adds three to four days of training for school bus applicants. The bill would remove that requirement for school bus drivers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration stated the exemption would not affect safety.

The legislation aims to streamline the hiring process. Medina said the industry is working to implement these changes while current drivers continue to manage routes with fewer available personnel.