3 months ago
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The head of Howard County, Maryland’s public school system said steps have been taken to prevent the level of past transportation problems from reemerging.
Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) Superintendent William J. Barnes said those steps in a letter to the community on Friday,
He said that in order to prioritize fighting “elevated rates of chronic absenteeism,” thee school system is committed to getting students to school on time.
At the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, many parents reported their students would often wait for hours for school buses to pick them up, if at all.
“I acknowledge a large magnifying glass is directed at us as we begin the school year and there are several changes and improvements that I am pleased to share,” Barnes said.
He said a “project management plan” has been put in place aid at ensuring transportation contractors, or bus drivers and the companies that employ them, will have time to review bus routes and conduct dry-runs ahead of the first day of school on Aug. 26.
For the 2024-2025 school year, 11 HCPSS elementary and middle schools have adjusted their start times to ease traffic congestion and address community concerns, the letter stated.
Barnes said the school system’s bus tracking system ...
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