Why School Bus Drivers Quit, Why Others Stay: An Ocean County Driver Shares Her Day

BRICK, NJ — All over New Jersey, school districts started the 2023-24 school year as they ended the last one: searching for more drivers to transport students to and from school.

There has been a critical shortage of school bus drivers for several years that worsened during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Bus drivers left the job in droves, but there also have been drivers who have stayed on.

Why do they leave? Why do they stay? A Brick Township bus driver shared her thoughts on what it's like to be a school bus driver — the challenges and the joys.

Karen Provinzano, who has been a driver in Brick for 15 years, granted Patch permission to reprint her reflections on what her day looks like at the start of a new school year:

"Get up at 4:30 a.m. to be in the busyard no later than 5:30.

"Check your mailbox (more changes found that affect your directions take place today).

"Get your keys and go to your bus and check everything: Lights , wipers, mirrors, windows, emergency exits, brakes, fluids, tires, lug nuts, seatbelts, lift (if you have one). Do this in the dark. Do this in the rain, snow, sleet, lightning.

"Bus not working? Go ask for another one. Go through entire checklist again. Not sure where everything is because every bus is different, oh well, you better figure it out quick, in the dark.

"Covering someone else’s run? Get their directions and read while driving because what choice do you have? Pick up 50 or so kids and tell them to buckle and hope they do, because you cannot leave the driver's seat to check. And you can’t see from your seat if they actually did. All you can do is tell them to "buckle up."

"Get to the school and drop off when told and start driving right away for the next school. But make sure you check the bus before you pull away cause you know little Johnny probably left his phone or lunch or iPad or sneakers or something on the bus, again, even though he’s not supposed to pull anything out of his backpack.

"Go through the next run. Then go through the next run. Then you most likely have a fourth school to bring in unless you have a really long run from one prior that doesn’t allow enough time for that.

"If you’re one of the lucky ones, you work from 5:30-9:30 in the morning. Then from 1:00-4:30 in the afternoon. Check, make sure nothing was assigned to your run in the middle of the day.

"Make sure you find bathrooms along your route that you can use without having to buy anything because you can’t afford to buy something every time you have to pee!

"Don’t mind the kids cursing at you because you didn’t wait for them at the stop. Don’t mind the parents cursing you out because they’ve been waiting for little Johnny to get home for a half-hour.

"Oh, you didn’t hear Sally say something mean to Alice halfway back in the bus ? While you’re most likely sitting next to a loud engine? What’s wrong with you? Be better. Pay attention.

"Don't mind the water bottles thrown at your head while driving. Parents threatening violence. Students threatening violence.

"This is why we have a national bus driver shortage. I could go on.

"But Mary’s mom gave you a nice card today. Billy brought flowers on the bus for you. That child you could not get through to all year just told you 'Have a nice day,' and then hugged you out of the blue.

"We sang happy birthday today to one of our kids, and 'The wheels on the bus go round and round' with the elementary school group.

"We talked about Joe’s soccer game he had last night where he scored the winning goal! Then he asked if you could go to his next game.

"You get invited to birthday parties and plays and chorus shows.

"This is why I still drive. I could go on …"