There's a shortage across the country of city bus drivers as 71% of transit agencies surveyed said they've had to cut or delay service.

It's a problem that started before the pandemic, but transportation advocates said the pandemic made the situation worse.

“It's partly just the job overall has created inequality. It used to be a reliable gateway into the middle class, but the wages of a lot of middle-class jobs just don't go as far as they used to,” said Chris Van Eyken, program manager for TransitCenter.

Some cities are seeing success by offering signing bonuses of up to $6,000 if the person already has a commercial driver’s license. Others are asking retired drivers to come back.

“I think there needs to be more of a focus on making sure they stay with the agency after that because we're seeing lots of folks after a year or two just not able to keep up with the job and so they're leaving to go to other fields. And if you have a CDL right now, you're very much in demand,” Van Eyken said. “So you have some options about where you work.”

Nearly two-thirds of transit agencies said they're having difficulty keeping workers. TransitCenter’s report found drivers are looking for more flexible schedules, better facilities like more reliable access to restrooms and better-addressing driver safety.

Ohio school bus driver April Wise is being honored and hailed as a hero for saving a student’s life.

Her quick thinking stopped a young boy from getting hit by a car.

Now, school officials want to use her action as an example to hold up for other bus drivers.

Watch the full story in the video player above.

“For what she did that day, we definitely appreciate it,” the child’s father said.

Wise was honored with an award from the district law enforcement and state representatives on Monday.

“It’s a testament to what people should do and what they actually do,” State Rep. Bernie Willis said.

Video from the school bus shows the reason Wise was honored. She was paying close attention to what was happening around her and even knew the exact student that was getting off the bus.

“He is one of my quickest students to get on and off the bus. He is super quick,” Wise said.

But Wise was quicker. She grabbed the student before he got down the steps, saving him from getting hit by a car.

“The only thing that went through my brain was to keep him from getting off the bus,” Wise said.

Wise said she always has to be on high alert though since drivers consistently choose to ignore school buses on the road.

“They do, they do run our reds quick a bit,” Wise said.

Now, the video of her saving a student will be used as an example of what is expected when caring for a bus full of students.

“I so don’t deserve this, but I’m glad it’s bringing awareness and stuff, and hopefully, more people will take it into consideration,” Wise said.

A Warren County man who met his victims through his volunteer work as a church bus driver was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati to 30 years in prison for sexually abusing two young boys, according to the Journal-News.

A federal grand jury charged Jory Leedy, 51, of Franklin, in April 2016. Leedy pleaded guilty in June 2019 on the day he was scheduled to begin a jury trial.

According to court documents, Leedy sexually abused at least two boys as young as 7 and 8. Leedy met the children through Target Dayton Ministries, where he volunteered as a bus driver. The children rode the bus, along with their mother, to the church on Sundays. Thereafter, Leedy stopped by the residence to play with the boys and eat dinner with the family. Leedy stopped volunteering as a bus driver shortly after.

Leedy began going to the residence on a nightly basis. He began buying the boys clothes and games. Eventually, Leedy ingratiated himself into the family, taking the boys to church in Cincinnati and on trips to the Cincinnati Zoo, Cincinnati Reds games and Kings Island. He also began taking the boys on vacations out of state, including to religious concerts and to Disney World, according to court documents.

Leedy arranged for the purchase of a car for the family. He helped enroll the boys in a private school. Further, Leedy assisted the family in securing another home that was owned by a friend of his; Leedy paid for part of the rent, according to court documents.

Leedy gave the victims’ family a fake name. His true identity was discovered during an altercation with the victims’ father in which the police were called. Police told parents Leedy’s real name and that he was a registered sex offender, according to court documents.

The victims told police the abuse took place over the course of two years and occurred in different states, including Kentucky, Florida and New York, according to court documents.

In addition, Leedy admitted in court documents that between 1999 and 2001 he sexually abused a then-minor relative when he would take the boy on trips for sporting events, according to court documents.

Leedy served two years in prison after a 2002 Montgomery County Common Pleas Court conviction for gross sexual imposition of a minor who was younger than 13.