Bus Drivers as Unsung Heroes: New Research on How to Keep Them Driving!

by Brian Carey and Susan Phillips

As we head back to school, it is a good time to take stock of the contributions of the many personnel that make for a successful school and a quality education.  Every one of them is critical to the education of our youth.  However, one particular school job – that of the school bus driver – has recently come into the spotlight as public-school systems throughout New York State and across the country find themselves in a crisis: There is a scarcity of school bus drivers.

In order for students to have the opportunity to learn in person, they need to be at school, and for many public-school students the only way to get to and from school is by riding a school bus. In fact, the New York Department of Education, State Pupil Transportation Department, states that in New York State alone, “approximately 2.3 million pupils…are transported to school each day”. That makes school bus drivers an indispensable ingredient to successful schools.

However, as we enter the fall of 2022 there continues to be a shortage of school bus drivers throughout the US and locally, threatening school district transportation operations and students’ access to education.  Why is this happening?  What can we do to alter this situation?

New research conducted at the University at Albany took a look at these questions. Unlike prior research that focused on how to recruit new drivers, we focused on what makes current drivers want to leave or stay in their jobs.  Looking at the problem from this perspective, we argued, could give school leaders ways to enhance resources they already have in place (rather than – or in addition to – creating new ones).

To understand why school bus drivers might leave their jobs, we studied what bus drivers in upstate New York had to say about their work and its rewards and satisfactions. Findings from the 301 participating drivers across 32 school districts offered two notable answers to the question of why drivers stay in their jobs.

• First, our study showed that drivers were more likely to be planning to stay in their jobs when they were satisfied with the extrinsic parts of their jobs. Not unexpected, things like pay and benefits are key to why they would stay, what they would change about their job, and why they would leave. This finding has obvious, but complicated, implications for school districts in New York, where funding is always a challenge and where the terms and conditions of employment are determined by collective bargaining agreements that may not offer the opportunity for flexibility or retention strategies.

• The second notable answer we found, however, offers some new directions for districts to explore in retaining their driver workforce. In our study, drivers were more likely to be planning to stay when they found their work to hold personal meaning, significance or purpose, and when they saw their work as a source of broader meaning for their lives. Drivers planning to stay viewed themselves as making a difference in the lives of the students they transport and considered themselves a significant part of a student’s education. These views did not seem to arise from an abstract motivation to work in a public service capacity, but rather reflected the drivers’ view that their jobs are meaningful work.  Of note also was that drivers did not seem entirely convinced that their districts value them for the work they do.

Recognizing Drivers for their Work

Drawing on our findings, district leadership could adjust elements of their school systems to better resemble the environments in which bus drivers are most likely to intend to stay in their jobs. That is, by changing elements of work to better match what bus drivers want — not only in terms of extrinsic elements of satisfaction – but also by enabling drivers to find meaning in the work they do — districts may be able to reduce likelihood their drivers will be planning to leave.

• Of course, considering how to build in retention flexibility for pay and benefits in contract negotiations would be a longer-term strategy. However, a more immediate strategy might be drawn from the assertion of many drivers in our study who said they would stay in their job a long while if “the job got greater respect from school administration.”  Formalized recognition programs within a district could provide the opportunity for drivers to feel more connected to mission of the district and to the students they transport.

• To create connection to the mission of the district, school boards could recognize bus drivers at one of their meetings, for example. This would allow drivers to know that the work they do is understood by all levels of the organization and is appreciated. A simple thank you writing campaign by district administration would indicate to bus drivers that they are a major part of the educational mission of the district.

Including Drivers in The Core Mission of Educating Students

Further, there may be district-wide ways in which drivers who stay find their work as meaningful and something they are personally invested in.  Policies that allow drivers to take a larger role in the educational organization, inside and outside the bus, might establish a sense of purpose and connection to students, parents and the community.  Connecting the bus driver to the students (both on the school bus and as part of the school building) may help to increase connection to students.

• One way to make this connection could be for districts to allow for job sharing for those who want to work with students outside their normal bus duties. This could include, for example, using drivers as teaching assistants, monitors or aides in buildings between their driver responsibilities.

•  Similarly, including drivers in teams that deal with students’ behaviors could not only add another window on sources and solutions for behavior management issues, but also highlight the importance of the driver’s role in the overall system and to the child as well. Indeed, drivers could bring to the conversation information about the home, early morning/late afternoon behavior, and riders’ social emotional wellbeing with their peers.
•  Another way that drivers could be meaningfully engaged might be to invite them to participate in back-to-school nights, allowing them the opportunity to meet and connect with parents/guardians and creating a relationship that moves beyond the bus stop.

Meaning could also be shaped for drivers by conversing with drivers about why they do the work they do, and how their work fits into the mission of the school district.

• Including and spotlighting drivers in opening day ceremonies and trainings with the educational staff of districts may also establish this connection and meaning.

•  Having district communication teams feature bus drivers and the work they do through the district webpage, electronic signage, and social media platforms might also help connect drivers to the mission of the district and convey a sense of purpose for the work that they do.

Today, with this new research, school districts that find themselves dealing with a bus driver shortage have a variety of different avenues to pursue to meet the challenges presented in their transportation departments. When the opportunity arises in the process of labor negotiations, the extrinsic parts of a driver’s job (pay, schedule and benefits) should be considered to provide a way to retain drivers by better addressing their needs.

However, there are also many intentional non-financial changes that could be made to reduce driver’s intent to leave. Promising strategies include recognizing drivers for the work they do, including drivers in the core mission of educating students, creating connection for drivers with other parts of the school operations, and working with supervisors to demonstrate the importance of the drivers and the work they do.  In pursing these avenues, districts can not only increase the chances that their drivers will stay, but also expand how they are seen and understood by the larger educational community and how their unique perspectives can be drawn in to enrich how districts understand the needs of the child and support their learning.

Thank you for your continued interest in NYKids and we encourage you to reach out to nykids@albany.edu with inquiries, and be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.