School Bus Driver Shortage Strains U.S. Districts
The number of U.S. school bus drivers fell nearly 10% between 2019 and 2025, disrupting students' daily routines.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Auto Parts
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The number of school bus drivers in the U.S. dropped from 223,252 in August 2019 to 202,076 in August 2025. The shortage has forced disruptions such as three days of remote learning for thousands of students in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in April 2026.
Why it matters
Once drivers obtain a commercial driver's license, they can move to other industries with better pay, and split shifts plus changing risk factors for an older workforce make a return to pre-pandemic driver numbers difficult. These gaps affect families and school schedules across the country.
Employment of school bus drivers declined from 223,252 in August 2019 to 202,076 in August 2025, according to federal counts. South Carolina's largest district issued more than 7,000 bus delay notifications to parents in the first 10 weeks of the 2025-2026 school year.
The players
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The federal agency that regulates commercial motor vehicle safety in the United States, and which said the proposed exemption would not affect safety.
National Association for Pupil Transportation
A national organization that advocates for school transportation professionals and is pursuing retirement cap waivers and tax relief for school bus drivers.
The details
Fort Wayne, Indiana, students stayed home to learn remotely for three days in April 2026 because of a lack of bus drivers. A Waterbury, Connecticut, student missed bus pickups about once a month, and a 2025 bill would remove the engine-parts training requirement that can add three or four extra days of training for drivers.
Timeline
August 2019: School bus driver count was 223,252.
2025: Lawmakers introduced a bill to remove the engine-parts training requirement for school bus drivers.
August 2025: School bus driver count was 202,076.
2025-2026 school year, first 10 weeks: South Carolina's largest district issued more than 7,000 bus delay notifications.
April 2026: Fort Wayne students learned remotely for three days.
Roadmap
The engine-parts requirement for commercial driver's license holders was built with long-haul trucking in mind, and the 2025 bill would exempt school bus drivers from it. The debate reflects a broader question about whether a single commercial licensing standard fits very different vehicle types.
Families whose children ride school buses may face missed pickups, delayed arrivals, or remote-learning days when districts lack drivers. Prospective drivers face a training requirement that can add three or four days before they can drive, which may slow hiring.
The takeaway
Staffing shortages in school transportation are tied to pay, training rules, and an aging workforce, so districts and lawmakers are weighing both pay improvements and regulatory changes. Parents can check district notices for delay alerts when driver staffing is tight.
Further reading
For related coverage of vehicle systems and maintenance, see Auto Parts.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Investigatetv.
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