Multiple parents raised concerns about ongoing transportation issues in the school district at the Stafford County School Board meeting on September 10, 2024. During the citizen comment period, delays, missed buses, and lack of communication were highlighted.
Michael Schultz, a parent, addressed the board about the transportation challenges his daughter has faced. “We’re about in week five of the school year, and I can say that transportation has been consistently horrible and inconsistent in pretty much all aspects,” Schultz said. He described situations where students were left at school for extended periods, saying, “There were kids that were still at the school two hours and 45 minutes after dismissal.” Schultz expressed frustration at the lack of improvement and transportation discussions on the meeting agenda.
Another parent, Julius Jackson, also expressed concern about long bus rides, particularly for students in the Commonwealth Governor’s School (CGS) program. “For transportation, it has been an unmitigated disaster,” Jackson told the board. He noted that some CGS students face commute times of two and a half to four hours. Jackson suggested potential solutions, such as hiring a logistical expert or looking into charter transportation.
Keith Fenders, who has two children in the district, reiterated the transportation issues, stating that his son’s morning bus pick-up time was moved earlier this year. “My son has to get the bus at 5:40 in the morning now instead of 6:03,” Fenders said. He called the situation a “logistical failure” and asked the board to provide more information about their plans to address the issue.
The night before school began in August, the school division notified parents that about 3,000 children who rely on the bus to get to and from class, about 10% of its student population, would not have a ride to school. Parents were left scrambling to get their children to school.
Parents also mentioned the challenges posed by driver shortages and the use of activity buses to compensate for the lack of available drivers. “I was told today that we would need 20 or 25 bus drivers to accommodate the satellite schools and alternative schools,” Fenders noted.
The transportation issues have been particularly challenging for families with students in the CGS program. Parents expressed concern about the impact of long commutes on their children’s academic performance and extracurricular activities. “He has two to three hours of homework every night, and he’s not even started his extracurricular activities yet,” Fenders said.
Parents urged the school board to prioritize finding solutions to the transportation problems, which they said have persisted for several years. “Something has to give. Something has to change,” Jackson said.
Chris Fulmer, acting superintendent and head of transportation, acknowledged the frustration felt by many families due to late bus arrivals. “We’ve made some improvements, but we’re still experiencing delays, especially in the afternoon,” Fulmer said. He emphasized that the school division is working to improve the system and avoid similar issues in the future.
George Washington District School Board member Susan Randall noted the importance of training and support for the transportation department. “Transportation is always a challenge for us, but also giving transportation the tools, support, and training that they so desperately need and deserve,” Randall said. She also requested an independent review of the transportation system.
Rock Hill District School Board member Patricia Healey apologized for the lack of timely communication about transportation issues and called for an independent investigation. “I want to apologize to our families who learned, as this board did, the night before transition day that we had a significant number of students without transportation assigned to them,” Healey said. She echoed Randall’s call for an independent review, stating, “I do want to pursue having a third party come in from the outside that can give us an independent review.”
Hartwood District School Board member Alyssa Halstead expressed concern over the system’s capacity to handle the demand for transportation services. “We overpromised on something that we couldn’t deliver. That’s on us, that’s on all of us for not just being honest,” Halstead said. She pointed to ongoing staffing shortages, road issues, and app malfunctions as significant contributors to the problem.
A new transportation app the school division implemented this year was intended to allow parents to track bus locations in real-time. However, Fulmer confirmed that technical issues with the app have added to the confusion. “This was a system issue,” Fulmer said. “We went to the new system because it was supposed to be better for parents.”
Board members agreed that a long-term plan is crucial while short-term solutions are needed. “We have serious holes in our system that need fixing. Those are budget concerns all the way,” Halstead said.
The School Board has requested regular updates from the transportation department and plans to engage with a third-party reviewer in the coming months. Despite multiple requests, no elected school board member has agreed to an interview on the division’s ongoing transportation issues.
