If we haven’t done so already, we can add school bus drivers to the list of essential service workers. A stark reminder to that importance came last week.

Schools in the Pine Bush School District were closed Friday and again on Monday after it was learned that the district’s transportation provider, Birnie Bus Company, did not have enough drivers to staff 12 bus routes. A similar bus driver shortage has occurred in the Wappingers School District.

The pandemic has taken its toll on many businesses, and a shortage of available help is one of the main reasons. Many are still collecting extended unemployment benefits and felt little incentive to get back to work. That’s been the case here. The bus company, like so many other businesses, simply cannot find enough help.

That said, parents are left to wonder how the school district was caught unprepared by this. Superintendent Timothy O. Mains bluntly stated in his letter to parents on Saturday that it was the bus company and not the district that caused the problem. That’s of little consolation to the many parents, students and staff who were inconvenienced by this.

Why was the district not made aware of a driver shortage in the weeks and days leading up to the start of the new school year? Perhaps a more viable contingency plan could have been developed in the waning days of August, instead of the frantic work of this past weekend to overhaul the schedules of schools in the district.

Could remote instruction have been an option? School districts throughout the state have made a determination that there would be no hybrid or remote instruction this year, but a temporary pivot would seem like a viable option under these circumstances. The district, however, reported Friday that chrome books have not yet been distributed to all of its students, thus removing that option from the table.

While remote learning can never replace the in-classroom experience, the option is invaluable in the event of severe weather or other emergencies. The pandemic has forced businesses and all sorts of institutions to adapt. This misfortune, too, can be a learning experience.