New legislation could ease Wisconsin school bus driver shortage

Every year, school districts across Wisconsin struggle to find enough bus drivers to transport children to school. 

Data from the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles shows the number of bus drivers in the state has fallen by nearly 18 percent over the last 15 years. And experts say the growing shortage will likely get worse due to an aging workforce, according to a report released earlier this year by the Wisconsin Policy Forum.

With school starting again in just six weeks, a proposed bill aims to address the ongoing shortage in Wisconsin by making it easier for drivers to keep their licenses. 

The new law would change the frequency of Commercial Driver’s License tests for bus drivers over 70 years old. Nearly a quarter of school bus drivers are 65 or older. 

Currently, drivers over 70 are required to retake their driver’s test every two years. The proposal changes the test to every four years. 

“A lot of people do this in retirement, or they’ve been doing it for years and they continue to do it,” said bill co-author state Rep. Shae Sortwell, R-Two Rivers. “But we’ve placed a number of burdens on them that aren’t even necessarily improving safety.” 

An “S” endorsement on a CDL allows a driver to operate a school bus and transport students. It shows that the driver has met the necessary training and testing requirements. 

The bill also requires an automatic reinstatement of an “S” endorsement canceled for medical reasons when the driver provides proper documentation from a medical provider to the Department of Transportation. 

If a driver loses the endorsement for medical reasons, they need to be seen by a doctor and get approval to drive from a medical review board, which can take months, Sortwell said.

Sortwell said this change would get drivers on the road faster and have a “huge impact on schools.” 

A third component of the bill expands the types of health care providers that can serve on the medical review board to physician assistants and advanced practice nurses. 

Sortwell said legislators have worked with the Wisconsin School Bus Association on the bill. The group did not respond to requests for comment. 

Statewide school enrollment has been on the decline for years. But the Wisconsin Policy Forum found the number of drivers has fallen much faster. There were more than 68 students per licensed bus driver in 2022, which is almost 10 more kids per driver compared to 2007.