Memorandum
To: Public School Transportation Directors
From: Division of School Traffic Safety and Emergency Planning
Re: Driver Availability Study
Date: January 14, 2000

Lately, the single most frustrating and most talked about subject in school transportation is..., no not seat belts, but school bus driver availability. The last decade has brought Indiana, as well as the nation, to almost full employment and prosperous times. Since 1990 we are operating 12% more school buses, logging 19% more miles on routes, and a 30% increase in athletic and field trip miles.

All of this at a time when private schools, day care centers, Head Start grantees, and other agencies are implementing or increasing transportation services as well. Their vehicle of choice: the school bus. The drivers they hire must satisfy the same employment criteria in statute, certification, and licensing that drivers for public schools must also meet. Is it any surprise, then, that the 'pool' of interested or qualified trainees seems shallow? Is the driver shortage real or perceived? To seek answers to this issue the Division of School Traffic Safety and Emergency Planning has contracted with Indiana State University's Department of Sociology to complete a study on school bus driver availability.

The study is under the direction of Dr. Tom Steiger, Professor of Sociology. A stratified random sample of 50 school corporations will be made. The sample selection will include corporations throughout Indiana based on the ten regional districts as delineated by the School Transportation Association of Indiana. The survey consists of a telephone interview and is expected to take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.

If you are contacted by the Sociology Department your participation is greatly appreciated. For assistance please contact the division by e-mail to tgummer@doe.in.gov or by telephone at 317-232-0890.