Editor’s Note: This is a commentary. The opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board.

Getting students to school safely is the first step in providing a solid public education, but this can be more complicated than it seems. In recent months, there has been a massive shortage of bus drivers. This has led to many students having to walk or be driven to school. It has also meant that some students are getting to school late, leaving early or are on the bus for up to two hours every day. Not only is the applicant pool for bus drivers small, those who have done this job in the past are not returning. Why?

If you read an article on this issue or see a news clip about it, you might be a little confused because many companies are offering $1-3,000 bonuses for new drivers. Companies also tend to offer training and certification. This means the requirements for applying to be a bus driver are only that you must be 21 years old and have a valid driver’s license along with the necessary people skills. So why is no one applying and why are current drivers ditching the job for other positions?

I don’t know if you’ve ever ridden on a school bus regularly, but it can be quite an adventure. My middle and high school years are marked with memories of other students harassing and distracting bus drivers. I have seen students throw things across the bus, yell out names and insults toward bus drivers, and even get into physical altercations with each other while the bus was moving. The reality is that drivers are employed to safely transport kids to and from school and are asked to have the people skills necessary for doing so. However, disciplining students should not have to be a part of their daily lives. This added responsibility can make the job much less appealing.

The pandemic also influenced the appeal of this career. School bus drivers were put at great risk of contracting COVID-19 when schools returned to in-person instruction. Factoring in that the average age of a bus driver in America is 57-years-old and that the virus had a much more devastating impact on the older population, it is easy to see why many drivers no longer felt comfortable bussing students around post-quarantine.

As I surfed the web searching for information on the bus driver shortage, I of course came across advertisements from large transportation companies that are desperately seeking employees. I dove into the website belonging to one of these employers, one of the largest in the country, and found a few interesting things. Many articles claim that there has been an increase in hourly wages, but most of the job offerings for drivers still boast a $19/hour rate. This is consistent with the average pay for a school bus driver reported in 2018. Anyone who has had to buy groceries in the last couple of years knows the cost of living has changed dramatically since 2018. This would explain the mass exodus of former drivers in recent years.  

A much broader issue that has a great deal of influence on the lack of bus drivers in America is the general societal attitude toward jobs in the service industry. Because of this country’s individualistic approach to career and success, we do not have much respect for more demanding jobs with minimal upward momentum. This is supported by all the advertisements I scrolled past while looking at open bus driver positions that boasted “promoting from within” and “future leader positions.” To make service jobs like being a school bus driver more appealing, companies are trying to advertise the possibility of promotion. Is there something inherently wrong with working a service job for many years without promotion? This widespread attitude explains why large transportation companies can get away with not raising wages for drivers — despite the country’s economic situation, it is not viewed as a permanent or long-term position. It also accounts for the lack of care for bus driver’s safety in general but specifically during and after the pandemic.

A bus driver can be a huge part of a student’s day and can also massively alleviate transportation responsibilities for parents. Getting students to and from school safely is an easily agreed upon goal. With all of this in mind, it would make sense that bus drivers receive adequate compensation, safety protections and respect from their employers. A big part of this is simply increasing the societal respect and admiration for these people who work hard every day to make sure children can get an education.

This article was written in memory of a bus driver I had as a child named Kelly Tibbetts who unfortunately passed away in 2018. She was such a bright spot in so many people’s lives and my thoughts are with her family.

Gabe Hendershot (he/him) is a first-year film, photography and visual art major who comes from a family of educators. Contact him at ghendershot@ithaca.edu.