Two school districts in the Greater Rochester area are feeling the impact of a nationwide bus driver shortage. 

More than eight in ten school transportation directors in New York consider bus drivers their number one concern, according to a report recently released by the New York State School Board Association.

“It’s a catch-22 because having a good economy puts people to work, and that’s a good thing, but those people going back to work leads to a void that eventually needs to be filled and we just haven’t figured out how to fill it yet,” said Scott Banner, Greece Central School District.

Greece Central School District has 20 open bus driver positions. Some of the challenges districts face are due to changes that were made to the Commercial Driver License (CDL) training and testing process last year.

"Geographically where we have to send drivers to get trained has been a huge issue,” added Banner.

"Prior to Canandaigua we were able to do that in the city on Emerson Street,” said Mike Gala, Penfield Central School District. “Since they made this test so much more complex. We have to do it out in areas where there is a lot of room to have parking and space. Canandaigua is the closest one for us and they are backlogged typically three to four weeks, sometimes more than that. That has been our experience.”

A process that was once took less than a month, now takes between six to eight weeks to complete. That's why Penfield and Greece have started offering paid training in hopes of getting more applicants in the door.

“Every management staff in the building is driving a bus. They are managing their scheduling to train new drivers, scheduling the testing part of it and driving a school bus in an eight hour day. It really pushes the envelope,” added Banner.