Ohio public schools are experiencing a daily 15% bus driver shortage, according to the National Association for Pupil Transportation. This deficit is creating challenges for families across the state, including in the Columbus City Schools district, where students have faced significant delays.
As of Wednesday, there are 17,008 active bus drivers across Ohio, Lacey Snoke, a spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, confirmed. Melody Coniglio, President-Elect of the National Association for Pupil Transportation and director of transportation for West Geauga Local School District, attributes the ongoing shortages to a combination of recruitment, retention, financial, and operational challenges. Coniglio noted that when driver numbers are insufficient, the effects are quickly felt by students, families, staff, schools, athletic programs, and the entire district.
Columbus City Schools, Ohio's largest district serving approximately 45,000 students, is actively working to address its bus driver vacancies. District spokesperson Michael Brown stated that as of Tuesday, Columbus City Schools operates 425 yellow bus and van routes. To cover these routes, the district employs 395 active bus drivers and utilizes an additional 68 contract drivers, transporting 32,450 students, which includes 8,552 charter and nonpublic students.
The impact of the shortage is evident for parents in Columbus. Phillip Floyd, whose son is a second grader in Columbus City Schools, reported consistent delays. His son’s bus, scheduled for an 8:37 a.m. pickup, has often arrived closer to 8:55 a.m., causing him to be late or nearly late for school by the 9 a.m. bell. Floyd said his son is frustrated about missing his morning work, emphasizing that his children should be getting to school on time. Floyd also recounted an afternoon incident where his son was not dropped off and rode the bus for an additional two hours. He described the experience of not knowing his child's whereabouts as "a feeling that I just can’t even put into words."
Mande Stedman, another Columbus City Schools parent, shared a similar experience. Her fifth-grade son arrived home nearly two hours late after his single afternoon bus ride, getting dropped off at 6:35 p.m. instead of 4:47 p.m. Stedman expressed her panic and subsequent relief, stating she was relieved to see her son and started crying because of how panicked she had been. Her seventh-grade daughter does not use the morning bus due to an early 5:52 a.m. pickup time.
Operational complexities contribute to the statewide challenge. Ohio law mandates that public school districts provide transportation for eligible students attending nonpublic and community schools. Coniglio explained that these schools can extend beyond a district's geographical boundaries, which introduces additional challenges. She noted that the miles and minutes accumulated transporting even a small number of out-of-district students can make a bus and driver unavailable for other routes during that same period.
In northwest Ohio, Patrick Henry Local Schools Superintendent Josh Biederstedt outlined his district's approach. The district transports 500 students within its own schools and an additional 15 students who attend nonpublic schools. Patrick Henry Local Schools manages 12 routes and three non-public routes with 12 full-time bus drivers and four substitutes. Biederstedt confirmed the district offers financial incentives for current employees to obtain their Commercial Driver’s License and become substitute drivers. Additionally, an incentive is provided to employees who refer new bus drivers, whether they become full-time or substitute positions.
Retention of existing drivers is a critical factor in addressing the shortage. A survey by the Ohio School Bus Safety Working Group revealed that 62% of bus drivers and aides reported feeling unsupported when dealing with challenging student behavior. Coniglio stressed that simply recruiting new drivers will not resolve the shortage if districts cannot retain their existing qualified and experienced staff.
Furthermore, last year, approximately 22,000 Ohio students were determined to be impractical to transport, according to Coniglio. Ohio law permits districts to offer families payment in lieu of transportation in such cases, after considering specific factors. Coniglio believes that if this "Payment in Lieu of Transportation" option were not available to districts, the statewide driver shortage and its operational impact would be considerably more visible.
