Broward schools face 100-bus-driver shortage as classes near
Broward schools say a shortage of about 100 bus drivers could ripple into first-week pickup times and route reliability as classes near. District officials link part of the gap to Haitian TPS fallout and are advertising transportation jobs.
Broward County Public Schools said it was short about 100 bus drivers as the new school year approached, a gap that could delay pickups, disrupt routes and force families across Broward to adjust morning work schedules when classes resume. The district said the shortage could affect bus routes and that TPS-related license issues were adding to the problem.
The transportation strain comes as school officials try to lock in routes through Broward County Public Schools’ Student Transportation & Fleet Services department while actively advertising bus driver jobs. Families in neighborhoods from West Broward to Pompano Beach depend on those routes for first-day arrivals, and any missing driver can ripple through the first week of school with later pickups, longer ride times and last-minute changes to stop times.
Officials tied part of the staffing crunch to the cancellation or termination of Haitian TPS, which they said has affected driver licensing and availability in South Florida. NBC 6 South Florida has reported that a Supreme Court ruling on Haitian TPS raised deportation concerns in the region, while FWD.us said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had planned to terminate Haiti TPS effective Sept. 2, 2025. Reuters reported on Feb. 3, 2026, that a U.S. judge halted Trump’s plan to end protections for 350,000 Haitians. Those legal changes have added uncertainty for workers in a county with a large Haitian community.
The shortage fits a broader pattern that has hit school systems nationwide at the start of the year. CBS News reported in August 2023 that many districts were again struggling to hire enough bus drivers, and Broward itself has been preparing for the scramble before. Local 10 reported on Aug. 8, 2024, that Broward school bus drivers were going through a practice run ahead of the school year, underscoring how close to the opening bell the district was still adjusting its transportation system.
For Broward parents, the immediate question is whether the district can keep buses on schedule before the first bell rings. With about 100 drivers missing and transportation vacancies still open, the district’s backup plan will determine whether students arrive on time or families spend the first weeks of school building new routines around uncertain pickup windows.
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