Tri-State school districts take aggressive action to combat bus driver shortage

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CINCINNATI (WXIX) - As students head back to school this month, local school districts are taking aggressive new measures to tackle a shortage of bus drivers that disrupted transportation services last year.

Districts in both Greater Cincinnati and southeastern Indiana are rolling out new recruitment strategies and infrastructure improvements to ensure students have reliable rides to class.

Little Miami Schools

Little Miami Schools in the northern Cincinnati suburbs launched a new driver recruitment team designed to ease candidates through what can be an intimidating onboarding process.

The district now guides candidates step-by-step through obtaining their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), reimbursing recruits for their study and training time.

Little Miami also has increased the pay rate for trainees.

“Last year was tough, and the shortage—it’s real, and we won’t deny that,” said Stephanie Messer of the Little Miami Schools Recruitment Team. “We’re trying to be more aggressive. It’s an intimidating process, but we help them through it.”

Vicki Gregor, a veteran driver of 24 years and the local union president, said she believes the biggest hurdle for potential recruits is simply the fear of operating a large vehicle.

“Most people say, ‘I could never drive a vehicle that big,’” Gregor said. “But a lot of times, I prefer to drive my bus over my car—you’ve got all the mirrors, you can see, and it’s a nice sturdy vehicle around you. It’s safe.”

Gregor added that the personal connection makes the job rewarding: “Once the kids get on the bus, they’re my kids. And I felt that way for 24 years... being a bus driver is the best thing.”

Little Miami Schools officials emphasize that their newly established recruitment system is built for the long haul, ensuring the district can swiftly respond to future staffing fluctuations.

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South Dearborn Community Schools

Across the state line in Aurora, Indiana, the South Dearborn Community School Corporation is taking an infrastructure-focused approach to the logistics bottleneck.

The district, which serves approximately 1,800 students, is constructing a new on-site transportation center.

Currently, mechanics must drive buses 20 minutes away to get repairs done.

The new facility will centralize operations, bringing a lift, a garage, and a dedicated workspace directly to campus.

“Having a center here—all of the buses are going to be parked at one site,” said South Dearborn Superintendent Dr. Ron Ross.

“We’re going to be able to safely plug all of those buses in, have them ready to go when the winter gets here.”

While Ross noted that every student who currently wants to ride a bus is able to, the new facility will dramatically improve operational efficiency.

“This will just help us have greater capacity within our transportation and be able to better support our buses and make sure they’re ready to roll every day,” Ross said.

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