In the past year, nearly 14,000 students lost transportation services for the current school year. After the cuts made last year, there are currently 526 bus routes. District leaders point to the success in the first few weeks of school in hopes of restoring cut bus routes. Data collected shows that students with bus service were getting to school on time, but things are not completely fixed. Parents and students suffered through last year with the school bus issue, and now they suffer from long car rider lines and loss of routes. Not everyone can get their children to school or to school on time.
Car riders are punished at school and held responsible for tardies to school when it is the parents responsibility to get their children to school on time. A factor in this growing issue is the additional traffic from the loss of bus routes. The district’s transportation team provided an update that hints at potentially restoring bus routes at a number of schools as more TARC bus drivers get their school bus certifications. JCPS superintendent Marty Pollio says at least 60 TARC drivers are needed to recommend the return of bus routes. However, with the success in the first few weeks of school, district leaders are hesitant to add routes back, not wanting to disrupt success.
