Illinois Eases School Bus Driver Shortage Through Hiring Reforms and Expanded Workforce

Illinois Stabilizes School Bus Driver Workforce After Decades-Long Crisis

Illinois has stabilized its school bus driver shortage by working with transportation providers to remove hiring barriers and attract a more diverse pool of drivers.

The state's efforts began when First Student, the largest nationwide school transportation provider, initiated contact with Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias to address the crisis. Leslie Norgren, vice president of consulting at First Student, said the shortage that began in 2020 was the worst in decades.

"A significant part of the bus driver workforce — elderly retirees — were among the most-affected by the virus," Norgren said.

A 2025 survey conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and HopSkipDrive found that 80% of school administrators reported driver shortages in their districts. The survey also revealed that 83% of respondents said staff had to take time away from core duties to drive buses or manage car lines, with 54% doing so weekly.

Removing Hiring Barriers

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias worked with companies and districts to reduce legislative and administrative barriers to hiring. In one major change, Giannoulias adjusted training requirements to better reflect which type of vehicle drivers operate.

"They (state officials) were critical in getting that exemption in Illinois for drivers, so that helped a lot (to) open up the workforce," Norgren said. "They helped us streamline our training, so that training was more pertinent based on the vehicle you drive."

Giannoulias also petitioned the federal government to waive the requirement of an under-the-hood exam. In the exam, drivers had to identify engine components, which Norgren said does not make sense today because school bus depots have mechanics and techs to perform that work.

The Secretary of State also expanded access to the commercial driver's licensing process by adding exams administered in Spanish and allowing certain farm truck licensees to also operate school buses.

"We're focused on removing unnecessary barriers while keeping safety at the center of everything we do," Giannoulias said in a statement. "Our children who depend on bus services in urban, small-town and rural communities must have bus drivers who are not only reliable, but have passed required testing that will keep them as safe as possible on their way to and from school."

Changing the Workforce

While working with Giannoulias to ease hiring requirements, First Student also worked to attract and retain drivers and build a more diverse workforce in terms of age. The company added sign-on bonuses to attract a larger workforce.

"We've raised pay and benefits. We offer more flexible schedules," Norgren said of First Student. "The last thing I would say is more education and training for our drivers as they come into the workforce. So, right, you're creating that culture of value and care for the students."

In Illinois, First Student operates over 6,000 buses that provide specialized and standard home-to-school transportation to hundreds of districts including Elgin, Urbana, Springfield and Rockford. In some districts like Galesburg and Westville, the company partnered with the school district to upgrade equipment by providing electric school buses.

Chicago's Public Schools

In Chicago's public school district, only about 5.5% of 315,000 students are eligible for bus service under state law. To be eligible for bus service under Illinois law, kids must live more than 1.5 miles from their school or be in danger on their school route.

But that number is growing. An increase in the district's "most vulnerable" students, those with disabilities and those in temporary living situations, is contributing to an ongoing labor shortage in the district.

Chicago Public Schools has addressed the shortage by raising driver wages, coordinating with vendors including First Student, assisting with access to public transportation, adjusting school transportation schedules and advocating for adjustments to state tests and certifications.

Norgren said the market has stabilized and there is no longer a shortage of bus drivers in Illinois.

"A lot of districts in Illinois outsource their transportation, and that's always been a model in Illinois, because that's what we do, right? That's our core business and our expertise," Norgren said. "We tend to be much stronger on the recruiting and retention side than at school districts whose core business is educating students."

Spokespersons for the Decatur and Peoria public school districts declined to comment on their efforts to address the shortage. Springfield Public Schools did not respond to a request for comment.

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Sources:

• Capitol News Illinois, https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/transportation-providers-schools-state-officials-ease-school-bus-driver-shortage/
• Shaw Local, https://www.shawlocal.com/news/2026/04/22/transportation-providers-schools-state-officials-ease-school-bus-driver-shortage/
• WQAD, https://www.wqad.com/article/news/politics/illinois-politics/transportation-providers-schools-state-officials-ease-illinois-school-bus-driver-shortage/526-56a595f2-90bb-40c4-88dd-79af86a5ec59