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DURHAM, NC (WNCN) – A new bus system for Durham Public Schools will put pressure on families who rely on transportation to get their child to school each weekday.
In an announcement Friday, Durham Public Schools said the new, flexible schedule — which provides student transportation just four days a week — will take place Monday, Dec. 2 through Friday, Dec. 20.
As part of a major but temporary change, district officials said families will be responsible for transporting their students to and from school on the one day of the week that their child’s bus does not arrive.
The four-day-a-week bus service ends a year of hardship when it comes to the shortage of bus drivers in the region. In January, parents were asked to bring their children to their schools due to a lack of drivers. To add to this issue, a number of drivers also sent a message to the school system not to go to work due to problems affecting their salary.
“This method will help to manage the shortage in the right way, and ensure that our drivers are able to cover more routes equally,” said the announcement of the district.
Now, some students will continue to ride the bus for all five school days. The school has confirmed that all buses designed for students receiving Exceptional Children’s and McKinney-Vento services will receive daily service.
How will it work
For those affected by the change, here’s a look at the new standard coming next month:
All bus numbers fall into a group – Groups A, B, C, D and E. The group the child’s bus belongs to will determine the three days in December that the family will need to provide transportation to school. Parents can search the table below to find their group based on their child’s bus route number.
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Now that you know the group, here is where the school system expects students from each group to get some form of transportation to school:
Group A –On Mondays: December 2, 9, and 16
Group B –On Tuesday: December 3, 10, and 17
Group C: On Wednesday: December 4, 11, and 18
Group D – On Thursday: December 5, 12, and 19
Group E – On Friday: December 6, 13, and 20
Great delay, absence
DPS said that as a result of this change, students will be allowed to be late on late buses and absenteeism will be allowed for students who miss school due to the bus route that has been suspended. The school district also said it will continue to investigate the possibility of further absenteeism due to canceled bus routes.
“Although we know that this will cause difficulties for some families who have benefited from the daily bus service, please bear with us and understand that bus travel is an equitable solution,” said the school district about this change.
Continued efforts to recruit and train bus drivers are underway, DPS added, and staff are actively working on “short-term and long-term strategies to address transportation challenges.”
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