More than 300 bus drivers practiced their routes and the transportation hotline for parents and guardians received more than 1800 calls this week as Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) got an early start preparing for the first day of school.
The 485-RIDE hotline opened two weeks earlier than usual. JCPS employees answer parents/guardians questions about their child’s transportation to and from school. Agents took 1049 reports from callers since the hotline opened on Tuesday and 94 percent of those reports were resolved, meaning questions or concerns were answered.
"It’s very rewarding to see how our 485-RIDE agents are helping parents,” said Rachel Droze, executive administrator of communications and manager of the hotline center. “This hotline is not only a place where parents can report concerns about their bus stop assignments or request changes. We can also teach families how to use tools like Bus Teller and Edulog Lite that will ensure the first day of school goes smoothly.”
The Bus Teller tool can be found on the JCPSFirstDay website. Parents/guardians can find their child’s assigned bus stop on Bus Teller but should keep checking it for updates before the first day of school. Edulog Lite is the same smartphone app JCPS used last school year to allow adults to track the location of their child’s bus.
Also this week, more than half of JCPS’ 561 bus drivers took advantage of the option to practice their routes more than two weeks before the first day of school. Danyle Lynch has driven her route eight times already. She’s pleased that, this year, JCPS is placing drivers on routes they are familiar with, near their bus compounds. And 65 percent of all routes, including Lynch’s are mirrored, meaning students ride the same bus to and from school. There were no mirrored routes last school year and drivers only had a little over a week to practice. This year, drivers are being asked for feedback on potential problems with their routes and bus stops so changes can be made before school starts.
“I think our drivers are ready,” Lynch said. “I think we're in our area where we're familiar with the stops, the streets and everything. So, I'm thinking that this year will probably be one of the better years we've had because we’ve had more of a chance to practice our runs and everything. So I'm feeling good about it.”
JCPS’ new routing team is projecting more than 40,000 students will ride JCPS buses at the start of the school year.
“We’re excited to have you back on our buses,” Lynch said to students. “We’re excited to get this thing rolling. Let’s go!”