COLUMBUS, Ohio (WOWO) — Ohio school districts continue to struggle with a statewide shortage of bus drivers as lawmakers and education leaders debate how the state’s student transportation system should operate in the future. A recent Ohio Pupil Transportation Workgroup report called for a “co mprehensive system change” to address long-standing transportation challenges while recommending immediate steps to improve the current system. WBNS 10-TV reports that the group’s stated goal was to “transport as many students as possible to and from their school of choice safely and consistently — regardless of where they are enrolled.” However, members disagreed on how Ohio should achieve that goal, with differences emerging between public school advocates, private school representatives, and lawmakers. The workgroup was created through the state’s most recent operating budget and was tasked with examining transportation issues, including whether school districts should be required to provide transportation to students attending community schools or nonpublic schools on days when the district itself is not operating. The group agreed that Ohio’s transportation system and funding structure need changes but acknowledged that members “do not agree on what all the core challenges are.” The workgroup included representatives from public school districts, private and religious schools, career centers, educational service centers, and members of the Ohio General Assembly from both political parties. Three members — Shauna Murphy of Cincinnati Public Schools, Josh Biederstedt of Patrick Henry Local Schools, and state Sen. Catherine Ingram, D-Cincinnati — said they did not support the final recommendations. The report highlighted “family school choice” as a principle valued by all members, while noting disagreement over how transportation responsibilities should be shared across Ohio’s education system. “Not all stakeholders fully agree on how to best accomplish safe and reliable transportation across education systems for more students,” the report stated. Current transportation requirements in Ohio date back to 1966, when state law required traditional school districts to provide transportation for district students as well as students attending chartered nonpublic schools. Districts are required to provide transportation unless it is considered “impractical to transport” under six factors outlined in state law. In those cases, families may receive payments instead of transportation services. The workgroup said that system has limitations. “The payment in lieu of transportation process is imperfect, and for many families a payment does not solve the daily school transportation problem,” the report stated. The group said the issue can be especially challenging for families facing poverty or parents with inflexible work schedules. During the 2025-2026 school year, more than 22,000 Ohio students were classified as “impractical” for transportation, according to the workgroup. Nearly all of those students were enrolled in community schools or chartered nonpublic schools. Transportation disputes gained statewide attention in 2024 when former Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sued Columbus City Schools over allegations that the district failed to provide transportation for private and charter school students. The Ohio Supreme Court later ruled Yost did not have legal standing to force the district to provide transportation, noting that his own case involved only 63 affected students. “The attorney general has not shown that a case affecting a small number of pupils within one school district of the state concerns the well-being of ‘a substantial segment’ of the state’s population,” the court ruled. Among the workgroup’s recommendations was eventually eliminating the “impracticality” exemption and phasing out the payment system. “In a new transportation system, (payment in lieu of transportation) should be exceptionally rare or phased out completely,” the report stated. At the same time, Ohio districts continue facing a major challenge finding enough people to drive buses. Ohio Department of Education and Workforce data shows that, on average, only 14.68% of vacant school bus driver positions were filled during fiscal year 2025. In 34 Ohio districts, 10% or fewer of vacant bus driver positions were filled, according to state data. Education leaders say compensation is a major factor affecting recruitment and retention. Jeff Wensing, head of the Ohio Education Association, told the Ohio Capital Journal that lower education funding levels have made it harder for districts to offer competitive wages and maintain transportation operations. “If you’re not fully funding the schools, if you’re not making it attractive to be a bus driver, if you’re not making it feasible to have enough buses to transport those kids, you can’t make it work,” Wensing said. Current job listings show the range of pay districts are offering. Columbus City Schools listed a bus driver position at $23.56 per hour for candidates with at least five years of driving experience, a commercial driver’s license, and required state training. The Cleveland Metropolitan School District listed bus driver pay at $21.65 per hour, while driver trainees were listed at $12.94 per hour. Toledo Public Schools listed hourly compensation ranging from $18.56 to $22.59, along with a longevity bonus after five years. Wensing said the workgroup’s recommendations represented worthwhile goals but warned that transportation systems cannot expand without additional resources. “You can only imagine the service you would get if you overload a venue like that,” Wensing said. “It’s the same with transportation, you can’t pull the rabbit out of that hat.” The workgroup recommended additional state support for bus driver recruitment efforts and called for transportation funding to be included in Ohio’s education funding formula. Melissa Cropper, executive director of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, supported increased transportation funding but raised concerns about extending additional state funding to private school transportation. “We should not commit to any additional funds for private school students, including additional transportation funding, until we are meeting our promise to the 90% of Ohio students who attend public schools,” Cropper said in a statement to the Ohio Capital Journal. Private school advocates supported the recommendations, arguing transportation access is essential for families choosing educational alternatives. “Ohio has made tremendous progress expanding school choice, but those opportunities mean little if students can’t get to school,” said Troy McIntosh, director of the Christian Education Network, a division of the Center for Christian Virtue. The Catholic Conference of Ohio also praised the report. Brian Hickey, the conference’s executive director, said reliable transportation is critical for families selecting educational options. “A parent’s choice of the best educational option for their child often becomes moot without the reliable transportation promised in Ohio law,” Hickey said. It remains unclear when lawmakers will consider the recommendations. The Ohio General Assembly is on an extended summer break until after the November election and will have limited time to address major legislation before the current session ends. Requests for comment from Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman and Ohio Senate President Rob McColley were not returned. The post Ohio School Bus Driver Shortage Sparks Debate Over Future of Student Transportation appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less