The new school year is weeks away, and a school bus driver shortage is affecting every school district across Michiana.

Concord Community Schools, Edwardsburg Public Schools, Elkhart Public Schools, and Goshen Community Schools are hiring school bus drivers for this year.

Concord said they’ve experienced a shortage over the past six years, and that the local economy is more to blame than anything else.

Other schools like Edwardsburg have had to combine routes, and even cancel school, thanks to a lack of bus drivers.

ABC 57 News reports Concord recently adopted a four-tier route system, which gives each bus driver four routes in the morning, and four in the afternoon. Districts are even now adding incentives to try to attract new applicants.