Thirty-seven school bus routes across the county that have been out of service this school year will begin operation and will transport students effective Monday, October 17, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell announced today.
Staff in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools Transportation Department have identified the routes as part of an extensive granular-level examination and ongoing adjustments to stops on other routes. As of October 17, seven routes will be able to offer both morning and afternoon service, six will offer only morning service, and 17 will offer only afternoon service.
“As I said when we announced this plan earlier this month, this is not the total solution that our families expect and that we want,” Dr. Bedell said. “It is, however, a huge step forward that will provide families with relief as we continue to explore additional avenues to solve this complex issue.”
Routes were chosen through a variety of factors that include the use of an equity lens aimed at identifying and eliminating negative barriers, whether an additional run will result in students getting to school on time or nearly on time, 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. Some routes that have been out of service will now be served by multiple buses.
Beginning Monday, October 17, the following routes will be operating:
Full service routes (morning and afternoon)
- Chesapeake Bay Middle School Bus 294 (to be run by Bus 283)
- Northeast Middle School Bus 242 (to be run by Bus 90)
- Old Mill High School Bus 4 (to be run by Bus 7 and Bus 349)
- Old Mill Middle School South Bus 183 (to be run by Bus 4, Bus 378, Bus 489, and Bus 657)
- Shady Side Elementary School Bus 297 (to be run by Bus 37 and Bus 293)
- South Shore Elementary School Bus 490 (to be run by Bus 378)
- Tracey’s Elementary School Bus 641 (to be run by Bus 41)
Morning only routes
- Broadneck High School Bus 303 (to be run by Bus 231)
- Central Middle School Bus 117 (to be run by Bus 144)
- Meade Middle School Bus 333 (to be run by Bus 616)
- Old Mill Middle School North Bus 110 (to be run by Bus 345)
- Old Mill Middle School South Bus 25 (to be run by Bus 491)
- Severn River Middle School Bus 387 (to be run by Bus 611)
Afternoon only routes
- Broadneck High School Bus 238 (to be run by Bus 187)
- Broadneck High School Bus 426 (to be run by Bus 337)
- Folger McKinsey Elementary School Bus 124 (to be run by Bus 7)
- Freetown Elementary School Bus 442 (to be run by Bus 147)
- Germantown Elementary School Bus 42 (to be run by Bus 467)
- Hebron-Harman Elementary School Bus 374 (to be run by Bus 43)
- Jessup Elementary School Bus 333 (to be run by Bus 616)
- Mayo Elementary School Bus 117 (to be run by Bus 144)
- North County High School Bus 145 (to be run by Bus 125)
- North County High School Bus 291 (to be run by Bus 203)
- North County High School Bus 413 (to be run by Bus 147)
- Ridgeway Elementary School Bus 110 (to be run by Bus 491)
- Seven Oaks Elementary School Bus 372 (to be run by Bus 102)
- Severn Elementary School Bus 230 (to be run by Bus 102)
- Severn Elementary School Bus 446 (to be run by Bus 621)
- South River High School Bus 117 (to be run by Bus 415)
- Sunset Elementary School Bus 331 (to be run by Bus 284)
- Windsor Farm Elementary School Bus 387 (to be run by Bus 611)
Specific schedules with bus stop pickup times can be found by clicking on the School Bus Schedules link at www.aacps.org/buses. The new stops and times will be reflected on the page no later than 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 13, 2022.
Bus route impacts on a given day will continue to be communicated online at www.aacps.org/buses, by email and text message to registered bus riders at impacted schools, and on the school system’s Facebook page.
As Dr. Bedell has previously stated, the school system is also looking at changing route service to schools at the semester break to provide buses to students who may be without them for the first semester. Additionally, AACPS is in the process of executing emergency procurements that will allow for additional passenger vans to be used to transport students. Such vans do not require drivers to have CDL licenses, as school buses do, but the hope is that drivers of these vans may be encouraged to pursue a CDL license.