delta variant of COVID-19, contentious disagreement over masking requirements, and the challenge of catching up on educational ground lost as the pandemic raged last year.The driver shortfall isn’t new, but a labor shortage across many sectors and the pandemic’s lingering effects have made it worse, since about half the workforce was over 65 and more vulnerable to the virus, said Joanna McFarland, co-founder and CEO of school ride-service company HopSkipDrive, which tracks school bus issues.Her company conducted a survey in March that found nearly 80% of districts that responded were having trouble finding enough bus drivers."It’s really at a breaking point," McFarland said.First Student, a company that contracts bus service for school.