As School Approaches, Officials Deal With Bus Driver Shortage

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- In just a few weeks, many students will head back to the classroom.

But getting them there will be a challenge for some local districts.

It's getting more difficult to fill bus driver positions.

It's a trial run for Sandy Adamik, behind the wheel of one of Freeport School District's new high-tech vehicles.

"I really like it," she says. "I really enjoy my job."

For 28 years she's been in the business of busing. And she's seen the industry change dramatically.

"I think it's a little more complicated to obtain your CDL licence," she said.

"There's a lot of regulations out there, and because of that, it's getting worse in what we have to do to prepare a driver to be able to drive," she added.

The state now requires 10 intricate forms, from sex abuse clearances to FBI fingerprinting. Piles of paperwork for W.L. Roenick, which serves 25 school systems.

"You have to think of what we do," said John Risch with W.L. Roenick. "We haul the most precious commodity and that's the children of our communities."

Keeping them safe takes time, sometimes months of processing by the state.

Then there's the CDL training and testing.

The bus companies are trying to get creative with job advertising.

But if there aren't enough drivers come school time, they'll move drivers around to fill the areas in need.

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