All Anne Arundel County Public Schools bus routes with assigned stops now have assigned drivers, meaning that no bus route swaps at the start of the second semester will necessary, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell told the Board of Education tonight.
Dr. Bedell and school system staff had been preparing for the possibility of route swaps at the semester break so that families whose students have had not had bus service for the entirety of the first semester would have service in the second semester. However, vehicles acquired by through the school system’s Alternative Vehicle Program have freed up buses that formerly transported students to nonpublic educational settings inside and outside Anne Arundel County, and the school system’s Transportation Office staff has continued to make modifications to enable more service.
“This has not been an easy road and we are not finished with our work yet,” Dr. Bedell said. “Our top priority has been service restoration and now our focus will turn to bus crowding issues and establishing a bench of substitute drivers to be utilized with regular drivers who are out due to illness. We have a lot more work to do, but I am extremely proud of what our team has done thus far.”
Dr. Bedell emphasized that driver illness and other isolated absences may still result in bus service being disrupted. He thanked families for their patience and collaboration to find other methods to get students to school.
AACPS has two additional alternative vehicles set to be placed in service in the coming week and one of the school system’s contractors is awaiting delivery of four more alternative vehicles. That will free up additional buses to be deployed as needed and prudent.