Paul Otten, superintendent for Beavercreek School District in Ohio, obtained his CDL in 2018 to help with the driver shortage. Read more about Otten at
stnonline.com/go/em.
stronger recruitment efforts, better support for drivers and a renewed focus on the human side of transporta- tion operations. “To be a bus driver is not an easy thing,” Otten said, speaking from experience as he frequently drives for the district. “It’s not, come in and train for a couple days, and then we’ll put you out on the road. It’s very specific train- ing, a lot of work, lot of time, lot of knowledge. “I think as we get people into those pipelines for jobs, it just becomes difficult for them to finish [the process].” Otten had just finished his morning route one day in
late February and was prepping to get back in the driver’s seat that afternoon. The district was unable to cover three routes that morning, and Beavercreek had to send notices to some families that their children had no ride to school. “We really value our staff in the transportation de- partment, and the reality is, if that staff is not there, we are not able to function, and it impacts the rest of the school day. It’s truly one of the most important compo- nents for us to have a successful day as transportation department,” he said, noting more administrative members will go through CDL training this summer. “We have to start thinking differently about how do we
44 School Transportation News • APRIL 2026
pull people that are in our buildings so that they aren’t waiting in a classroom for kids? How do we get those individuals to come forward, to jump in a bus at 6 a.m. in the morning, to run a route, drop the bus and then go to work [in the building].” Otten said the current driver shortage is the worst he’s seen in nearly 10 years. “With us literally telling families that you will not have a bus today…we have neighboring districts who when they’re short on drivers, they will close the school district down. And we just feel there’s got to be another alternative to doing that. Get our kids to school and get our kids fed. But if a student can’t make it in [due to transportation], we’re not going to hold that against them in terms of attendance.” Buchanan agreed that transportation depends on peo-
ple. “Attracting and retaining skilled drivers remains a national challenge,” he said, noting Lamar CISD’s proac- tive hiring, competitive staffing strategies, and fostering of a strong workplace culture. Recently, the district added 16 full-day drivers to cover absences and open routes, which have helped stabilize operations and reduce employee workload. “Additionally, we support recognition programs, communication and employee engagement with ini-
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
