ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Anne Arundel County Public Schools say they have come up with a partial solution to bus shortages.
Beginning October 17, some buses will provide either morning transportation to middle school students or afternoon service to elementary school students.
Previously the school system identified 40 bus routes that left students without a way to school.
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Buses that would have initially been assigned to those routes had extended high school or middle school runs, making coverage more difficult.
But now County Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell says they've found a work-around.
“I fully realize this is not the total solution that our families – and we – want,” Dr. Bedell said. “However, this will relieve at least some of the pressure on families who currently have to find ways to get their students both to and from school as we continue to work on other solutions.”
Specific routes are still being determined, weighing the volume of students expected to ride a bus, and the existing impact on a school that would be served by such an additional run.
Families will be notified once routes have been selected.
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Bedell also said the school system would look at changing bus routes during semester break, for those who have gone without transportation
Meanwhile five other routes that were previously out-of-service have been restored, although it's unclear which ones.
The school system added that they are in the process of finalizing plans to use vans for student transports, which do not require drivers to have a CDL.
“Today’s announcements from Dr. Bedell show significant progress in providing our children with the transportation they need to get to school every day," said Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman. "When I met with Dr. Bedell last week, we discussed the need for outside-the-box thinking to address this issue, and I appreciate how aggressively he and his team are proposing and implementing new solutions to these challenges."
