‘Treading water’: Anne Arundel schools struggle to fill bus driver vacancies despite hiring efforts

Despite recruitment and training efforts, the number of vacancies among Anne Arundel County school bus drivers has held steady more than two months into the academic year. The system publishes a weekly update with the number of driver vacancies. Two days after school started, 75 vacancies were reported Aug. 31, and 69 were listed Wednesday. Schools spokesman Bob Mosier said in a statement that the system has been able to maintain, but not increase, staffing levels. “As has been stated, we are treading water,” Mosier said in an email. Anne Arundel is not alone in its struggle — a shortage of bus drivers is affecting districts around the country.