Schools turn to AI to help with bus driver shortage

WASHINGTON (TND) — It’s no secret that school districts around the country are facing a bus driver shortage.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, the number of bus drivers in the United States in K-12 schools has dropped 15.1% since 2019. But now, some districts are turning to artificial intelligence to help get kids to and from school.

“You can set areas, like little circles, on the map so that when your bus comes past that circle, it pops on your phone,” said Amy Kennedy, a mom of four living in Pennsylvania.

Kennedy said that her district has been handling the shortage well in part because they’ve implemented AI software.

It makes me feel that my children are that much safer and that I have more control over the situation,” Kennedy said.

The school district Kennedy’s kids are enrolled in uses a company called Transfinder. Using artificial intelligence and routing optimization, the software company tracks each school bus to help drivers pick up more kids as safely as possible.

“Maybe instead of having two to three stops in an area, we go down to one stop,” said Transfinder President & CEO Antonio Civitella.

Civitella said this software is becoming more popular because not only is there a dire need for drivers, but also communication.

There’s a shortage everywhere, but it’s the miscommunication that hurts the community,” said Civitella.

Right now Transfinder is being used in about 2,500 school districts across the United States. Civitella said they could add hundreds more this upcoming school year.