Why school districts nationwide are facing bus driver shortages

School districts across the country have reported bus driver staffing issues as they prepare to welcome back more students.

At the start of the school year, it's not uncommon for school districts to be short bus drivers. Before the pandemic, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System in Georgia had been down 10% from what it needed, which is manageable, Paul Abbott, executive director for transportation for the district, told ABC News. This year, he said the school district was down over 30% -- more than 110 drivers -- as it was gearing up for the return of students last week. As a result, the district has had to prioritize routes for around 20,000 students who are returning fully in person, leaving about 5,000 kids without the option of riding a school bus. "We have the money, we have the buses, we have the parts. We have everything that we need except the critical resource -- bus drivers," Abbott said. "COVID just completely exacerbated the bus driver shortage." The district is not alone. Schools across the country -- from Pennsylvania to Virginia to Missouri to Ohio to Texas -- have reported similar shortages.