Pupil transportation always changes, and that can bring both the good and the bad. This year, when we asked school district transportation directors to weigh in on what they’re experiencing, we saw some notable shifts in both alternative fuel deployments, purchasing patterns, technology implementation, route mileage, pay, staffing levels, and more.

6 Takeaways from School Bus Fleet’s 2026 District Survey Data

1. Alt-Fuel Purchasing Patterns Shift: Not surprisingly, given a changed federal climate around EV funding and clean-air rules, districts buying diesel buses climbed again after last year’s loss, while electric purchases fell. Gasoline rebounded, while propane purchasing remained steady.
2. The Driver Shortage Remains: It was a mixed bag in terms of driver shortage standings this year. A few respondents reporting “desperate” levels came back after that designation disappeared last year. However, more districts this year said they had no shortage. The most common shortage level was mild, reported by 38% of districts. Notably: Districts with no shortage or only a mild shortage were most likely to report higher starting pay for bus drivers, at 75% and 74%, respectively.
3. Buying Increases (Again): New-bus purchasing climbed steadily this year, with 57% of districts in 2024, 73% in 2025, and 84% in 2026. That’s a 27-point increase in two years. It may be driven by vehicle and parts availability returning post-COVID, mandates and/or available funding, or replacement cycles catching up to aging fleets.
4. Technology Embeds Itself in Daily Operations: Use of rider-tracking and parent apps continues to consistently grow, from 39% in 2023 to 48% in 2024, 68% in 2025 and up to 72% in 2026. That means nearly three-quarters of respondents now offer them. (Noteworthy: Most of our respondents this year were from large districts, so the trend may not hold true in smaller or rural operations.)
5. Student Behavior is a Top Safety Concern. Despite much attention on illegal passing from national organizations, over half of respondents said they’re more concerned about student behavior inside the bus.
6. Buses Are Going the Distance: Interestingly, this year we saw a sizeable jump in average annual route mileage per bus. Anecdotally, we have heard of this happening more frequently as districts consolidate routes. In some cases, it means longer runs with fuller buses — a trend we will continue to watch.

2026 Survey Results & District Trends

• Average % of Buses Used in Daily Routes: 76%
• Average % of Buses Operated by Contractors: 9%
• Average Annual Mileage Per Route Bus: 19,787 | Way up from last year’s average of 13,000.
• Average Number of Riders Per Route Bus: 78
• Transportation Director Median Salary: $122,408

Modes of Transportation Offered

• Traditional school bus service: 99%
• Contracted alternative transportation: 39%
• District-operated vans or other non-bus vehicles: 43%
• Public transit passes: 21%
• Parent/guardian mileage reimbursement: 42%
• Taxi or rideshare service: 8%

^{Note: All data presented was compiled and averaged from qualified survey respondents representing over 80 transportation officials at public school districts in the U.S. between July and September 2026. To see your district represented in these results next year, watch for announcements about 2027 survey dates and share your insight to help us identify challenges, opportunities, and report on the state of school district transportation operations.}