Howard County Public Schools alters school schedules to address bus problems
BALTIMORE -- Howard County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano has announced new start time changes for its schools as a means of facilitating the process of bussing children to school on time.
The changes, which are adjusted in increments of 10 minutes or less, will go into effect on Sept. 20, according to school officials. They come as the school district is trying to resolve a transportation debacle that left many children searching for alternative ways to get to school.
Initially, more than 2,000 students left without transportation to school. A company that was contracted to provide bus services faced difficulties that made it unable to cover 54 routes.
Martirano told families earlier this week that the district had addressed several logistical issues that impacted transportation. Despite that, the district found that the biggest issue impacting the ability of bus drivers to get students to school in the morning and home in the afternoon was insufficient time between the start times, according to school officials.
The buses have been delayed, in part, because the bus drivers have been encountering an obstacle course of challenges that include insufficient route timing, traffic delays, and competing with parents and students who are driving to and from the schools, school officials said.
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball initially weighed in when the transportation hurdles arose, noting that bus issues shouldn't happen after the Board of Education was funded with a $8.2 million increase for transportation.
