Several districts are dealing with bus driver shortages as kids return to school

As kids gear up to go back to school, many districts are still searching for enough bus drivers.

"Our industry, we're not, we can't just put up a sign on the door and say, sorry, we're short staffed. We're going to close right? I mean, we have to be there for the kids," said Kathryn Forboard, President of the Minnesota School Bus Operations Association.

Forboard says shortages have stayed about the same compared to recent years. Rural communities like Dassel-Cokato are feeling the pinch the most relying on expanding partnerships with other local transportation services.

"For the most part, I think it's, you know, they're just maybe getting creative with scheduling, but they're, they're doing everything they can to, you know, maintain those routes, which is sometimes difficult," said For