The big yellow buses on the road are symbolic of the American education system and culture. Every day, 26 million children in the US board a school bus to get educated and become potential leaders. But are they actually getting to their schools?
It’s a harsh reality that many children are missing school because of gaps in transportation, which has increased the problem of chronic absenteeism plaguing the US. So, what’s happening?
Not Enough Drivers
The school bus driver shortage has been waging on from before the COVID-19 pandemic and seems to be getting worse with time. With fewer drivers available, schools are underutilizing their buses, leading to more inefficient routes.
- Student safety: With tired drivers racing against time to make up for routes that other drivers should cover, the chances of accidents may increase. Plus, with traffic and potential hold-ups, drivers are more likely to speed, which may put students at risk.
- Late pick-ups: Many students are missing school due to the inefficient transportation system. While the number of routes for each bus may have increased, drivers are often racing against time. If any unforeseen circumstances occur, students may be too late for school.
While it is a fairly challenging problem that has been impacting the industry for almost a decade, there are creative ways to combat the school bus driver shortage.
Buses Spend too Much Time in the Shop

Not only are buses more unreliable, but there is also a shortage of technicians. Many school districts have tried combatting this shortage by increasing wages for technicians. While this may not be feasible for every school district, the alternative is to engage in preventive maintenance to reduce downtime.
School bus fleet maintenance tools can help schools keep their buses in top shape with extensive diagnostics.
Declining Ridership

With over 60% of students commuting to school in private cars, it’s clear where student ridership on buses is going. Why did this happen? Well, several reasons led to this:
- The COVID-19 pandemic: Many parents started dropping off their kids to school during the pandemic and the habit stuck with them.
- Bullying concerns: A US Department of Justice survey has revealed that around 25% of student transportation professionals reported some sort of bullying on school buses.
- Lack of Transparency: It can be challenging to win parents’ trust, so having the right processes in place can add a lot of value. Certain software packages come with mobile apps for school bus routing enabling two-way communication between parents and transportation staff.
The Big Picture
Most of these problems boil down to limited funding. With ESSER funds going away, finances are getting tighter for school districts. One way to combat the declining funding is to invest in school bus routing software that can help improve operations.