BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Warren County Public Schools are set to return to the classroom August 4, but longtime bus drivers like Jackie Jordan are sounding the alarm of the area's bus driver shortage. 

Drivers are given routes each day for the stops they'll be making. Jordan said she'll never turn her back on kids, but driving extra hours can wear drivers down quickly.

“If others can help out when their route is complete and they have the time they will do it," Jordan said. "That's a strain but you know that they are doing their route and doing others and we need more because we are very short on drivers."

To become a driver requires a Commercial Drivers License (CDL), something that Director of Transportation Chip Jenkins said requires a process that is currently backed up. 

"It can sometimes take up to 60 days to get the CDL, so the process isn't as quick as you might think," Jenkins said. "We have about 12% absenteeism so we will have about 21 drivers out for opening day and some are out for medical reasons long and short term but we hope to get them back soon."

A typical full staff of drivers is around 177, according to Jenkins. Advertisements have been placed around the county as well to try and get more drivers to come. 

Despite the difficulties the Dept. of Transportation does have about 7 trainees on deck, and is doing all they can to prepare them as quickly as possible. 

"We have classes in the evening or Saturday so we can kind of accommodate their needs if their working," Jenkins said. "We are doing whatever it takes to get them certified in that process."