School Bus Driver Shortage Worsens Across US Despite Creative Solutions

School districts face severe bus driver shortages, causing major disruptions on the first day of school.
Shortages are due to low pay, difficult hours, and pandemic impacts; districts try incentives like free transit cards.
Raising wages is an obvious fix, but creative solutions are also needed to address shortages.
Students put on wrong buses, dropped in unfamiliar areas, and forced to walk home.
National shortage getting more severe over time despite local efforts to hire more drivers.