Bus issues in Howard County cloud the first day of school

SO, TOMMY, WHAT ELSE DID THE FAMILIES TELL YOU? WELL, THEY SAY IT WASN’T JUST PICK UP, BUT THAT DROP OFF WAS QUITE A HEADACHE AS WELL. SOME FAMILIES TELL US THAT THE BUS DIDN’T ARRIVE TO THEIR CHILD’S SCHOOL TO TAKE THEM HOME TO MORE THAN TWO HOURS AFTER DISMISSAL. NOW, LOTS OF FAMILIES HAVE TOLD US TODAY OVERALL WAS A NIGHTMARE. I MISSED A LOT OF SCHOOL TODAY BECAUSE THE BUS NEVER SHOWED UP THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR CAME WITH COMPLICATIONS FOR FAMILIES ACROSS HOWARD COUNTY. ALREADY THE ROUTINE IS MESSED UP WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE THE BUS. THIS MORNING, STUDENTS FROM ELEMENTARY TO MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE JONI ERNST BUSSES ARRIVING EXTREMELY LATE AND SOME SAY THEIR BUS NEVER SHOWED UP AT THEIR STOP. THAT WAS JUST SCARY THAT THEY WOULDN’T MAKE IT THERE SAFELY AND THAT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, A NEW SCHOOL EXPERIENCE FOR THEM. AND I REALLY WANT IT TO BE A POSITIVE ONE. AND HAVING THIS GIANT HICCUP FOR THEIR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, ACCORDING TO HOWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THERE WERE MULTIPLE ISSUES. MORE THAN 200 BUSSES WERE TRYING TO EXIT THE SAME BUS LOT, CAUSING A BOTTLENECK RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE. AND SOME BUS NUMBERS DID NOT MATCH WHAT FAMILIES WERE GIVEN. SO WE WERE WAITING FOR A WHILE. I WAS WAITING AT OUR SCHOOL FOR LIKE 40 MINUTES TILL THE BUS TO COME UNTIL I CALLED MY MOM BOTH WAYS. THE BUS NEVER SHOWED UP AND AT DISMISSAL, SOME BUSSES HAD TO DOUBLE BACK TO RETURN TO SCHOOL AND COVER EXTRA ROUTES. THE DISTRICT SAYS THAT IMPACTED AS MANY AS 19 SCHOOLS IN TEN ROUTES. PARENTS WHO WORK IN THE MORNING AND RELY ON THE SCHOOL BUS SAY IT WAS A DISCOURAGING FIRST DAY. I DON’T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. I WOULD THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SOMETHING SOME PREPARATION WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE LAST WEEK WHERE THE BUS DRIVERS WERE BEING ABLE TO RIDE THEIR ROUTES AND PRACTICE TO AVOID THIS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THIS IS HISTORICALLY KNOWN AS AN ISSUE IN HOWARD COUNTY. AFTER THE HECTIC MORNING, THE SUPERINTENDENT SENT OUT A MESSAGE TO PARENTS STATING, QUOTE, THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY AND INTO TOMORROW, I WILL BE MONITORING OUR TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS. AND YOU HAVE MY COMMITMENT TO ENSURE WE GET IT RIGHT. WE’RE TOLD THE BUS CONTRACT CALLED ZOOM, ZOOM THAT THEY HAVE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO HELP FIX SOME OF THOSE ISSUES FROM

Bus issues in Howard County disrupt the first day of school for many

*UPDATE*(8/29) 6:30 a.m. Howard County Public School System has informed parents that 20 school bus routes will not be covered for the rest of the week due to driver callouts through the bus contractor Zum Transportation. In the message to parents, HCPSS said:”While the contractor currently has drivers in the training pipeline and is working to address the vacancies, they are asking families who are served by the following routes to make alternative arrangements for your students to get to and from school for the remainder of the week.”The following routes will be affected:1020 – Mt Hebron HS, Patapsco MS, St John’s Lane ES 1023 – Centennial HS, Centennial Lane ES, St John’s Lane ES 1148 – Atholton HS, Cradlerock ES 1161 – Atholton HS, Thunder Hill ES 1163 – Wilde Lake HS, Wilde Lake MS 1165 – Atholton HS, Wilde Lake MS 1168 – Atholton HS, Mayfield Woods MS, Bellows Spring ES 1191 – Long Reach HS, Lake Elkhorn MS, Atholton ES 1078 – Clarksville MS, Pointers Run ES 1090 – Reservoir HS, Hammond MS, Forest Ridge ES 1155 – Oakland Mills HS, Phelps Luck ES, Thunder Hill ES 1201 – Long Reach HS, Phelps Luck ES, Atholton ES 1122 – Patuxent Valley MS, Murray Hill MS 1144 – Atholton HS, Swansfield ES, Waterloo ES 1053 – Dunloggin MS, Burleigh Manor MS, Northfield ES 1176 – Atholton HS, Talbot Springs ES, Waterloo ES 1089 – Hammond HS, Bollman Bridge ES, Gorman Crossing ES 1070 – Hammond HS, Hammond MS, Guilford ES 1173 – Clarksville MS, Pointers Run ES, Swansfield ES 1154 – Wilde Lake HS, Wilde Lake MS, Running Brook ESOriginal article:Frustration replaced the elation of the first day of school for many in Howard County as multiple issues with the district’s bus system forced some kids to miss class. In some cases, families told 11 News the school bus never showed up.”I missed a lot of school today, because the bus never showed up, “Howard County Public Schools Student, Kayla Brady, said.The first day of the new school year came with complications for families across Howard County.”Already their routine is messed up with not being able to take the bus this morning,” Howard County Public Schools Parent, Kathleen Sayers, said. Students from elementary to middle and high school experienced buses arriving extremely late and some say their bus never showed up at their stop.”I was just scared that they wouldn’t make it there safely, and that this is a new school experience for them, and I really want it to be a positive one, and having this giant hiccup for their first day of school,” Sayers said. According to Howard County Public Schools, there were multiple issues such as more than 200 buses trying to exit the same bus lot causing a bottleneck right out of the gate. Other issues included some bus numbers did not match what families were given.”We were waiting for a while. I was waiting at our school for like 40 minutes for the bus to come, before I called my mom. Both ways. The bus never showed up,” Brady said.Even more issues plagued dismissal, as buses had to double back to return to school and cover extra routes. The district said that impacted as many as 19 schools and 10 routes. Parents who work in the morning and rely on the school bus said it was a discouraging first day.”I just don’t understand why this is happening. I would think that some preparation would’ve been done the last week where the bus drivers were able to ride their routes and practice to avoid this, especially when this is historically known as an issue in Howard County,” Sayers said. WBAL-TV was told the bus contractor, Zum Transportation, has made adjustments to some issues.

HOWARD COUNTY, Md. —

“While the contractor currently has drivers in the training pipeline and is working to address the vacancies, they are asking families who are served by the following routes to make alternative arrangements for your students to get to and from school for the remainder of the week.”

The following routes will be affected:

1020 – Mt Hebron HS, Patapsco MS, St John’s Lane ES
1023 – Centennial HS, Centennial Lane ES, St John’s Lane ES
1148 – Atholton HS, Cradlerock ES
1161 – Atholton HS, Thunder Hill ES
1163 – Wilde Lake HS, Wilde Lake MS
1165 – Atholton HS, Wilde Lake MS
1168 – Atholton HS, Mayfield Woods MS, Bellows Spring ES
1191 – Long Reach HS, Lake Elkhorn MS, Atholton ES
1078 – Clarksville MS, Pointers Run ES
1090 – Reservoir HS, Hammond MS, Forest Ridge ES
1155 – Oakland Mills HS, Phelps Luck ES, Thunder Hill ES
1201 – Long Reach HS, Phelps Luck ES, Atholton ES
1122 – Patuxent Valley MS, Murray Hill MS
1144 – Atholton HS, Swansfield ES, Waterloo ES
1053 – Dunloggin MS, Burleigh Manor MS, Northfield ES
1176 – Atholton HS, Talbot Springs ES, Waterloo ES
1089 – Hammond HS, Bollman Bridge ES, Gorman Crossing ES
1070 – Hammond HS, Hammond MS, Guilford ES
1173 – Clarksville MS, Pointers Run ES, Swansfield ES
1154 – Wilde Lake HS, Wilde Lake MS, Running Brook ES

Original article:

Frustration replaced the elation of the first day of school for many in Howard County as multiple issues with the district’s bus system forced some kids to miss class. In some cases, families told 11 News the school bus never showed up.

“I missed a lot of school today, because the bus never showed up, “Howard County Public Schools Student, Kayla Brady, said.

The first day of the new school year came with complications for families across Howard County.

“Already their routine is messed up with not being able to take the bus this morning,” Howard County Public Schools Parent, Kathleen Sayers, said.

Students from elementary to middle and high school experienced buses arriving extremely late and some say their bus never showed up at their stop.

“I was just scared that they wouldn’t make it there safely, and that this is a new school experience for them, and I really want it to be a positive one, and having this giant hiccup for their first day of school,” Sayers said.

According to Howard County Public Schools, there were multiple issues such as more than 200 buses trying to exit the same bus lot causing a bottleneck right out of the gate. Other issues included some bus numbers did not match what families were given.

“We were waiting for a while. I was waiting at our school for like 40 minutes for the bus to come, before I called my mom. Both ways. The bus never showed up,” Brady said.

Even more issues plagued dismissal, as buses had to double back to return to school and cover extra routes. The district said that impacted as many as 19 schools and 10 routes. Parents who work in the morning and rely on the school bus said it was a discouraging first day.

“I just don’t understand why this is happening. I would think that some preparation would’ve been done the last week where the bus drivers were able to ride their routes and practice to avoid this, especially when this is historically known as an issue in Howard County,” Sayers said.

WBAL-TV was told the bus contractor, Zum Transportation, has made adjustments to some issues.

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