New York is implementing a federal waiver that will help potential school bus drivers get on the road faster.

The state Motor Vehicles Department is allowing new bus drivers to bypass the engine compartment component of a CDL test. Waiving the “under the hood” component will effectively allow those seeking a CDL to bypass that entire portion of the CDL process and streamline the rest of the requirements, according to the state DMV.

“This just made it a little easier for those of us wanting to get jobs or part-time jobs as school bus drivers,” said Mark Schrecengost, 63, of Falconer. “I retired from the Department of Corrections, and I’ve been looking for something to do to put a little change in my pockets and keep me busy. I thought being a bus driver would be a fun way to do that, then I looked at all the requirements to get my CDL. …. But now I just may.”

The state has been looking for ways to increase the pool of potential school bus drivers because of shortages around the state. According to the New York School Bus Contractors Association, there was a 15% statewide school bus driver shortage at the start of the 2023-24 school year.

However, a local transportation manager believes more needs to be done to fix the deficiencies in driver shortages.

“While we appreciate the governor’s attempts to help address the bus driver shortage and streamline the process for obtaining a CDL, the S1 restriction would only allow individuals to become bus drivers and only be able to operate a school bus in New York state. Our drivers tend to want to use their license to operate other commercial vehicles during the summer months and, because of our location here on the Southern Tier, our drivers need to have the ability to conduct interstate travel,” said John Spacht, transportation supervisor for Frewsburg, Jamestown, and Southwestern school districts. “For these reasons, we don’t believe this will have a major impact on our ability to hire and train bus drivers in the Jamestown area. However, we will continue to advocate as much as possible for solutions to this shortage and look forward to continued conversations on how to do so.”

A federal CDL can be issued with an endorsement only for New York residents who reside in the state, with no other endorsements or privileges afforded to the operator.