The West Virginia Department of Education’s transportation manager, David Baber, said the state has been feeling the effects of a bus driver shortage since before the pandemic. This week the state board of education voted to waive a policy allowing former school bus drivers and current bus drivers from out of state to become West Virginia school bus drivers without going through 70 plus hours of training. Applicants would still be required to have a commercial driver’s license, to pass a background check and a drug test. Waiving the extra hours of training could help new drivers get on board faster. The new rules will go into effect by the first of the year.