School bus driver shortage persists as districts raise pay to compete for workers

Summary

School districts across the United States face persistent bus driver shortages despite wage increases and benefits packages. School bus driver employment remained 9.5 percent below 2019 levels in August 2025 according to the Economic Policy Institute, driven by split shifts, wage competition, and expired pandemic aid.

Key Takeaways

1. School districts across the country continue to struggle to recruit and retain enough school bus drivers, forcing them to compete with other employers for a limited pool of qualified workers despite higher wages.
2. School bus driver employment remained 9.5% below 2019 levels in August 2025, even as inflation-adjusted hourly wages rose 4.2% over the previous year, according to an Economic Policy Institute analysis.
3. Wething said the expiration of federal pandemic-relief funding has put additional pressure on school systems.

Statement Breakdown

• Claimed Facts: 75% of statements the article presents as facts
• Opinions: 20% of statements classified as editorial or subjective
• Claims: 5% of statements surfaced for additional reader evaluation

Credibility & Bias Reasoning

Credibility assessment: The article relies on credible sources, including an economist from the Economic Policy Institute and a school district superintendent. Quantitative claims are anchored to federal survey data and specific local administrative metrics. Information is consistent, factual, and verified through named professional attributions without sensationalism.

Bias assessment: Labor and Policy Reporting. The reporting focuses on economic data, structural workplace challenges, and administrative responses without partisan framing. It gives balanced weight to macroeconomic labor trends and practical municipal administration. Perspectives from economic analysis and educational management are represented straightforwardly.

Note: Report grounded in verified federal labor survey analysis and named educational leadership interviews.

Credibility flag: Highly Factual

Claimed Facts (5)

• Checkable economic statistic sourced from federal labor survey data analysis.
• Specific verifiable operational metric regarding school district transportation routes.
• Verifiable account of a municipal recruitment event.
• Checkable compensation and benefit rates for district employees.
• Verifiable credential and training duration for district leadership.

Opinions (5)

• Subjective economic assessment of labor market dynamics.
• Subjective characterization of standard split shift work hours.
• Value judgment regarding employee retention and workplace culture.
• Qualitative opinion on retention factors beyond compensation.
• Analytical opinion outlining potential multi-factor strategic solutions.

Claims (5)

• Highlights a common flawed assumption regarding available workforce reserves.
• Imprecise estimation of hiring yield rather than an exact confirmed figure.
• Generalized anecdotal statement without specific survey quantification.
• Subjective, non-quantified assessment of improved staffing conditions.
• Broad speculative outcome description without empirical frequency data.

Key Sources

• Bradford Betz — Reporter, FOX Business
• Hilary Wething — Economist, Economic Policy Institute
• Economic Policy Institute — Economic Think Tank
• Kurtis Kotes — Superintendent, East Greenbush Central School District
• East Greenbush Central School District — Public School District in New York