School districts have made some progress in addressing the national shortage of school bus drivers, but there still aren’t as many drivers as there were in 2019, according to a new study.

The number of drivers has increased by 2,300, or 1.1%, since last year, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning research group. But there are still 21,200 fewer bus drivers than there were in 2019, a decline of 9.5%.

The researchers link the employment gain to higher wages: Average hourly wages are up 4.2% in the past year, the largest jump since the COVID-19 pandemic.

During and after the pandemic, many bus drivers retired, left the workforce or in some cases, died. Districts across the country have had to scramble to find someone to take the wheel — be it substitute teachers, administrators or even parents.

The number of bus drivers decreased by 15% between September 2019 and September 2023, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Private school bus contractors now account for 38% of the nation’s pupil transportation services, according to the National School Transportation Association.

Other school transportation options, such as ride-hailing services, have helped fill the gap in some places. But roughly half of all U.S. K–12 students rely on a school bus to get to school.

The report warns that school district budgets are tightening as federal pandemic relief funds have expired, and notes that the Trump administration has delayed some federal K-12 funding in its bid to shrink and eventually eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.

The report points to  Maine, Missouri, and Vermont as states that are dealing with especially severe bus driver shortages. It also notes that a dearth of drivers has a particularly pronounced effect on students with disabilities, and that not having enough drivers can lead to inconsistent bus schedules and routes, which contributes to absenteeism and missed school meals.

Stateline reporter Robbie Sequeira can be reached at rsequeira@stateline.org. This story was originally produced by Stateline, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Nebraska Examiner, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.