New routing system coming for Leon County bus drivers ahead of school year

August 5, 2019

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -- The new school year begins in exactly one week for many school districts across the Big Bend and Leon County returns to classes with a new system for school bus routes.

Those changes were discussed on Monday, extensively, during a contract negotiation meeting at the school board office.

The main concerns for many of the bus drivers are the actual changes to the bus routes and the late notice to get used to those changes.

The room overflowed on Monday with LCS bus drivers, many showing up to make sure their voices were heard.

Under the new routing system, drivers will most likely have a different route in the afternoon as they do in the mornings. Previously, the same school buses picked up and dropped off at the same places in the mornings and afternoons.

Drivers, like Tyraine Warren, say the inconsistency could be confusing for students and drivers.

"That's going to be very difficult," Warren said. "It's already difficult when you get a new route. When you get a new route that differs from the A.M. to the P.M., and if you've got multiple schools, that can be very taxing."

The drivers say they're also worried that they don't have enough time to learn their new routes for the first day of school on Monday.

Drivers say they have until Thursday to review all of the new routes and select one before beginning dry runs.

The spokesman for Leon County Schools says the changes are from a new software that allows the district to be more efficient with the routes when it comes to bus mileage and maintenance, as well as save money.